The Boy from Alaska
by emilylostboystwilight
Summary: Bella has been friends with Alice forever. When Alice's cousin Edward moves to town during 6th grade, they become quick friends. Eventually, they drift apart, but Bella realizes she has feelings for him. What will she do? All Human
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: This is the first thing I've ever written. Please be kind!!! I'm totally kidding, say whatever you like, it's your opinion and I'd love to hear it! Anyway, some of this has come from my own experiences, and the idea for this came to me one morning when I was heading to school. So I hope you enjoy! It starts out when the gang is in Jr. High and it'll... well, you'll see!_

"So who is it?," Alice chirped as we sat on her floor in the light of the fireplace. I might have been twelve years old, but this was immature...

"How many times have we been over this, Alice? I DO NOT have a crush on anyone. I mean, I'm too young. Seriously, we're twelve! What are we _actually _gonna do?" I hated to be a spoil-sport, but it got annoying when I came to her house and time after time she asked me who I liked.

"Fine, don't tell me... I'll guess it eventually..." I glowered at her. "You wanna know who I like?!" she squealed. There was no stopping her, anyway.

"Sure."

She paused for dramatic effect. I sighed.

"Well," she said, "JASPER HALE!" Gosh, she almost busted my eardrum... "OKAY, you like Jasper," I said back. I knew it already. I've known Alice my whole life. Our mothers met at the park when we were babies, and then when we were toddlers, we ran into the Hale twins, Rosalie and Jasper, and in the third grade, Emmett McCarty moved to Forks and joined our little group. We all loved each other, but Alice and I had a special bond I didn't share with anyone else. I was zoned out by now, thinking back on all our good times, when Alice hit me with a pillow.

"So, what do you think?"

"Huh? Of what?"

"I like Jasper. I mean, it's JASPER!" she screamed again.

"Inside voice, Alice," I reminded her, "and I think it's fine. Jasper is nice, and we're all friends. Just don't let Rose know, or you'll never hear the end of it." Rose was very protective of her brother, and he of her. If she found out Alice's feelings, it would ruin our group and Rose would try everything to keep Alice away.

"Bella," she began, "why don't you like anyone? It's not normal."

"Thanks, Al."

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant, most girls like talking about the guys that they like. You just don't. We're best friends. You should tell me who you like... come on, it cannot be that bad!" she said looking at my embarrassed expression.

"Alice, I told you, no one. You know how I feel about this sort of thing. I don't like anyone, and if I did, that's my business. I can't help that I'm a rational person." To my mother, I was her middle-aged child. I just grew up thinking of everything in a rational and logical way. "Come on, Alice, we should get to bed. It's ten."

"Ugh, spoil-sport! Why don't you try acting like a kid for once?" Alice complained. I sunk into my sleeping bag and closed my eyes as Alice pranced over to turn down the gas fire. "You know my cousin is moving here, right?"

"No," I groaned sleepily. I didn't care at this point. Just one more kid to crowd the halls of Forks Junior High School.

"Yeah, his name is Edward Masen and he's moving from Alaska. My uncle Carlisle grew up here, but he moved to Alaska a long time ago, and now he wants to be a doctor down here. I have no idea why anyone would want to live here. But I guess it is better than Alaska, and Aunt Esme-"

"Al... you're getting on my last nerve," I cut her off.

"Sorry, Bell. 'Night."

"Night, Al."

_A/N: So this was really really really short, but once I really get into this, I'm hoping my chapters will be a little longer. I'm sure there are mistakes galore, but I'm really sorry about that. I'm hoping I can have the next chapter up tomorrow, Friday at the absolute latest. Please review and favorite, because it would make my world!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: Just to clear some things up now, yes, they are all human, and I added that into my summary-thingy. And it's Bella's point of view, in case you didn't catch that. I might try Edward's point of view eventually for a chapter or two, at the moment, I am undecided. As well, yes, it will be Carlisle and Esme Masen. I liked having Carlisle and Esme be Edward's parents rather than Edward and Elizabeth because we know Carlisle and Esme, and I like it better. Yes, they will get older in the next few chapters (sorry for that minor spoiler). Enjoy!_

A week after the slumber party, we were back in school. Alice had been sort of distant because she was always tired or stressed from helping her cousin move in. I hadn't met him yet, but I was bound to see him sometime. From what Alice had said, this was supposed to be his first day.

I walked to lunch, not really paying attention to where I was going. Not such a good plan, since I was extremely clumsy and tripped in the halls constantly. I got to the cafeteria without injury and took my place beside Emmett like I did every day at our round lunch table. He already had enough food on his plate for two normal kids. I sat down my things and went to the lunch line to get an apple. When I returned, Rosalie and Jasper had gotten to the table, and Alice was on her way into the cafeteria with her tray.

I pulled the book I had been working on out of my backpack. _Jane Eyre._ I had started about a week ago and was only halfway finished, which wasn't like me. Usually, with a book that size, I could be finished in five days, at the latest. I guess it had been because of the break and Alice's shopping habit that I hadn't finished yet. Just when I really started getting into the story, Alice started talking (of course she did).

"Hey, guys, there's my cousin, Edward," she said to us. "He's the one with the reddish brown hair and glasses."

I looked up to see a boy, about our age, walking across to the line. He (like Alice had said) had on glasses, a grey sweater, and dark blue jeans. He was not a prep, a jock, a nerd, or an emo kid, but a combination of them, if that was possible.

His untidy, reddish brown hair kept falling into his eyes, which were covered by black-rimmed glasses. He was muscled just enough, but not overly so like Emmett. His clothes looked very nice. He seemed like he would be a nice kid. Now, he had spotted us and was walking towards us.

"Hey, Alice," he said shyly. "Would you mind if I sat with you today?"

"Oh, no, go ahead," she replied. "You can sit between Bella and me."

He looked over at me and sat down his tray with only a bottle of apple juice on it. He pulled the chair out noisily, and sat down, looking nervous and out of place.

"Okay, well, this right here is Bella, like I said," Alice began, pointing to me, as I waved awkwardly and shyly. She turned to her left. "This is Jasper and Rosalie Hale, and yes, they're twins. And that thing over there is Emmett McCarty." Emmett held out his fist for Edward to pound. Edward held out his awkwardly and bumped Emmett's massive fist awkwardly. I went back to reading my book. I had read for about 2 minutes when Edward spoke to me.

"So, what book are you reading, Bella?" he asked.

"Oh, umm, _Jane Eyre._ I'm about halfway done. I would have been done, but Alice wanted to go shopping." I threw her a quick glare.

"Yeah, I've seen how Alice can get when it comes to her and the mall. Yep. That book's pretty good for a girl book."

"What? You've actually read it?" I asked, looking surprised.

"Yes. When you've got a mother like mine, you have to read all the classics, even the girly ones. Don't worry, I didn't read it too long ago. I prefer _Eragon..."_ he trailed off. I looked at him skeptically.

"_Earagon? _ You have GOT to be kidding me."

"What?" he inquired innocently.

"Come on, that book is horrible!" I cried. "And the movie sucked too!"

"Hey, now, don't drag the movie in, it's not it's fault," he began. "What don't you like about it?"

"It's boring. I mean, it's some dragon running around all over the place. I do admit, I like the dragon chick thing, but I hate Eragon."

"And I would guess that you like that _Harry Potter _crap better?"

"Oh, heck yes, I do!"

"Well... I guess I'll have to overlook that if we're going to be friends."

Friends? That sounded nice. Someone who's read the classics and seemed intelligent. Someone who wouldn't be afraid to get in an argument over fictional characters. I guess this would work.

"Then I guess I'll have to overlook you liking that disgusting dragon stuff... ew. Let me guess, you like Tolkien as well?"

"Almost more than my life," he replied.

"Gosh, then I'll have to live with you I guess. Have you read _Anne of Green Gables _yet?"

"No, not yet."

"I'm bringing it for you tomorrow morning."

"Okay, that'd be nice. All this stuff that they're giving me today is so easy and I've already done most of it, so it shouldn't take me long to read it."

"Good! Honestly, it's one of my favorite books. Anne's just so imaginative and has such great views of things. Plus, she's normal and makes her mistakes, so that's good."

I was interrupted when Alice threw her unused fork at me.

"Come on, nerds, the bell just rang, we gotta get to class."

"What do you have next, Edward?" I asked.

"Uhh..." he said, looking down at his schedule, "science. My favorite!" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice roll her eyes.

"Well, I'm heading to English, but I'll see you later, I guess."

"Yeah. See ya," he said as he walked off in the opposite direction from me. Finally, I had met someone who I could really see myself getting to know and becoming friends with. Someone who was just as smart, if not smarter, than me, unlike my group of friends. Not that I didn't love them. They'd always be there for me, but there was always something missing. And Edward seemed to hold that missing piece.

_A/N: So, it's longer than last night! Review and tell me what you think. Yeah, even though I love _Twilight, _Harry was my first love. I started the first one when I was seven and I was the first in my school to read it, just like I was the first in my school to read _Twilight_ about two years ago. And yes, I am an _Eragon _and _Lord of the Rings _hater. My brother loves them though, so I know all about them. I hope to have a new chapter out by tomorrow, but I might not get it in until Friday. I'll try. I have the next two, maybe three chapters mapped out in my head. This took me quite a bit longer to write. I hope writers' block isn't setting in!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: So I'm blowing off _Ugly Betty_ to write this, and I was up until 11 last night planning the rest of the story. There are about 12 more chapters that will be published, and later, possibly Edwards POV posted, but we'll see. I might have to change the rating to _T_ later because I have a scene planned that is a bit violent, but I will have to write it first. Here you go!_

As the last semester of the sixth grade dragged on, Edward and I became much closer. It felt like I could tell him anything and that he wouldn't tell my secrets or make fun of my ideas... well, if he did, it would only be in fun. He seemed like he would always be there for me.

"Favorite band?" he asked.

"Linkin Park," I answered automatically.

"Wow, something in common."

"It was bound to happen, you know."

"What is your favorite comic-book character of all time?" he asked me on one of the few sunny April days that we had. We were out on the track just walking around, and that question was too easy.

"Spider-man... duh, it's so obvious," I said while he shook his head. "Okay, then, who's your favorite?"  
"Batman, obviously. Really, I mean, how can you not like the cape?"

"Yeah, he's my second favorite, I have to admit, but he doesn't really have any powers. I do admit, the movie version of Spider-man is way better than the comic-book version. The way they did the webs was way cooler than the whole Peter-making-them thing."

"Speaking of superpowers," he began, "I bet that I could beat you in a race around the track."

"I bet you could beat me, too," I said.

He took off down the track like lightning with legs. He quickly circled the track and started around again, passing me and waving. He didn't even look tired. I heard someone say something from my right side. Mike Newton.

Mike and I had grown up together. I was the nerd, and he was the jock. Yeah, Emmett was on the football team, but he was nice to me. Like a big brother. Mike had none of those ties to me, so naturally, that meant for my entire life, he'd done nothing but pick on me, or mess with me, or just be a jerk. He was on the cross-country team, the basketball team, and the tennis team. And he had just found the way for him to win state in cross-country.

"Whoa," I heard him say under his breath. Mike came to stand beside me as Edward came to a halt next to me. "How long have you been running?" he asked Edward.

"Oh, I don't run. It's just something I do for recreation. You know, exhilarate myself."

I stifled a giggle as I looked at the expression on Mike's face. I guess "recreation" and "exhilarate" were too big for his head. Edward grinned a little and winked at me.

"Oh... so how long have you been on the cross country team?" Mike persisted.

"I'm not. I just said it was something I do for fun." We were both getting a kick out of this. Mike just stood there for about fifteen seconds.

"Well, we could really use you on the team. Honestly, you're pretty damn good, and we really need someone like you to help us out. You look like the kind of guy that would need something to do other than read something."

I glanced over at Edward. I couldn't believe he was actually considering it! He had a thoughtful look on his face and he said, "I'll get back to you on that, okay?"

"Oh, yeah, man, just come see me sometime after school. I'm usually somewhere in there every day," he said, waving to the school building. He abruptly turned and walked off. I hit Edward lightly on the arm.

"I can't believe you're considering it!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, I never said that I was considering anything," he returned.

"I know you. The look on your face said it all. Come on, please don't do it..." I trailed off.

"Now, why shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Because Newton's a jerk and has always done crappy things to me, since we were little and he called me stupid in kindergarten. He always does those types of things to me just to bug me. Please don't do it."

"Bella, it isn't your decision."

"I know, and I will still be your friend, no matter what you decide to do. Just don't become a jerk if you do this? Please?"

"Bells, I promise I won't become a jerk."

"Fine."

As time went on, we started to drift away. It started as soon as he started training and practice. He called less often, sat with me less often at lunch. Didn't have as much to say. No, he hadn't become a jerk on purpose, but it was happening. But this was the type of thing that was supposed to happen. In junior high, you make friends as often as you break them. You eventually forget about them and move on. Our lives right now were SUPPOSED to be filled with drama.

Years passed. We exchanged the casual "Hello" and "How are you?", but nothing really extended on from that. Alice still talked to him, but apparently they never said anything about me. Sometimes I would see him over at Alice's house. It was the same thing, though. We had just become too different. As he had lost the glasses and gotten contacts and more muscles, I had recoiled even further into my shell, hiding from everyone but my close friends. That is, until my junior year of high school...

_A/N: I think this one was a little shorter than last nights. I tried to write a longer thing, but I just couldn't. Plus, this seemed like a good cliffy stopping point for you. Since tomorrow is Friday, and I've had all of my quizzes and tests either today or I will have them tomorrow, I think I might be able to post a chapter or two tomorrow. Yes, Mike is a bad guy, to clear that up. I have also decided that a lot of this will be like a mix of the book and my own life. I've added even more things from each in my planning.__The story is gonna get a LOT BETTER, I promise. Just keep reading, please!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: I'm really trying to make them longer. I have no idea how I'm going to do that. So, this one doesn't really have much to explain about it, and is inspired by some famous parts of the book. Enjoy! Oh, and also, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell EVERYONE to go to youtube and watch the Allen and Craig Show by EvilIguanaProduction if you haven't already, because that show brightens up my day when I need it... and I totally liked it before they did the _Twilight_ Trailer Spoof, so HA!_

It was an extremely hot August in Forks, which was rare. That right there should have tipped me off about how special my junior year was going to be. I didn't feel like driving my truck (since it had no air conditioning), so Alice picked me up for school the first day in her new yellow Porche, which she had gotten over the summer. It was yellow and was sure to stick out in the crowd, just as Alice wanted. She didn't normally flaunt the fact that she was well off, but she loved this car and wanted everyone to notice it.

As we pulled up to school, I pulled my schedule out of my backpack. I had gotten it when I registered for school and already had it memorized, but I still took it out, just for a safety measure. I went inside and headed for my first class.

I walked down the familiar halls to my classes which bombarded me with homework and books for me to carry around. I made it through the day trying to understand all the new rules and policies my teachers had, trying to be a good student. I didn't have any classes with any of my friends because I was in all the advanced classes, but we did all have lunch together. I went in and sat in the table that we had claimed when we came to high school and laid my things next to Emmett as I went to get my apple, like I did every day. When I got in line, a familiar bronze head was in front of me and turned around.

"Hey, Bella, how are you?" Edward asked as he progressed through the line.

"Fine. How's cross-country going?" I was still mad that he had blown me off for the past five years because of it, but I never let him know that. It was unintentional, and I should learn to let it go. I don't know why I hadn't.

"It's good. Just a little hot, you know? I mean, Forks always has been hot to me, since I lived in Alaska, but it's burning up!"

"I've noticed."

"What class do you have next?"

"Advanced bio, I think," I responded.

"With Banner?"

"I think so."

"Me too," he said as we reached the end of the line and paid. "Guess I'll see you then."

"Yeah, sure." He walked off to the left, I to the right. I sat down and pulled out my book. _Anne of Green Gables._ It was comforting to me. As always, just as I got into it, Emmett turned to speak to me, his mouth full of whatever he was chewing.

"I swaw you up ter, Miss Bewla. Sow, why don you twk to Edwaard anymowre?" he asked still trying to chew his food.

"Emmett, did your mother teach you anything as a child?" I asked eyeing him speculatively.

"No, but your mom taught me tons of things... last night!" He chuckled and I rolled my eyes as I went back to my book. "You never answered my question, Bella."

"It's not that I don't talk to him, it's just that I don't see him, and he's changed since sixth grade. It's just weird."

"I think he's really only changed on the outside, Bella," Alice said, turning away from Jasper's eyes long enough to interrupt our conversation. Jasper had asked Alice out last year and she was completely thrilled. They'd been together, and frequently, they just stared into each others eyes. It was romantic, in my opinion, but still seemed like it was something I shouldn't look at. Like it was too private. I answered Alice's reply with a question.

"What makes you say that?"

"I've known that boy his entire life, he's the closest thing to a brother I've ever had. I talk to him still, too, you know. He just changed who he hangs around with and the way he looks. He's still that nerd I love."

I let the conversation drop and went back to my book. When the bell rang, I rushed to biology. Mr. Banner greeted the class and said he had assigned seats for us with our lab partners. They would be our lab partners for the rest of the year. I silently prayed to get a partner who was actually halfway intelligent and I could get along with easily. Mr. Banner called out names, starting at the left side of the room, by the door, and went threw the first two rows of lab tables. He was on the third and final row, with only six people left. He called out who was at the first table, right in front of his desk. Next, he called out Edward's name. Then mine. We would be lab partners for the entire year. I slowly walked over to greet Edward at our table.

"Hey, partner," he said to me.

"Hey," I replied. At least I could kind of get along with him and I knew he was smart. Mr. Banner then decided to get the class started back.

"Now, right now, you and your partner have a microscope and slides on your desk. This is just to see how much you guys know. I want you to label the stages of mitosis each of these slides are in." There were a few groans, but everyone started to adjust the microscopes.

I grabbed the first slide and popped it in, adjusting the eyepiece. "Anaphase," I said, pushing the microscope to Edward to let him look. He looked quickly and turned to me nodding. He filled out the paper with the information. We took turns looking in, exchanging only the necessary words to work. We were the first partners done, so he turned to me.  
"Since when did you get so good at science?" he asked with a crooked grin on his face.

"Since always."

"That's not the way I remember it," he laughed. "I used to always have to help you with this stuff."

"I got the hang of it eventually, though." We both laughed. "You were the one who wanted to be the doctor, though. How's that working out?"

"I still want to be a doctor like my dad. I have no idea why, though. Most people think it's just because it's what my father does, but it really isn't. I guess I just like the idea of helping someone. Making a difference in their lives." We sat in silence looking at each other for a few more seconds, when Mr. Banner called the class back to order and Edward and I both acted like nothing had happened.

_A/N: There you go. This chapter almost didn't happen because I was pretty ticked tonight, but I was like, "Hey, maybe if I write something, It'll take my mind off of the fact I'm really hungry and have no food and I have no car to drive me anywhere right now, so I'm home alone on a Friday night." So it did a little, but I'm still pretty mad. Review and send me messages of what you thought, because I'd love that! Thanks for reading!._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: I'm really pissed off right now, so I'm trying to write a little. I'm going to try to post two chapters today, but that might not work out. I am stuck at my house indefinitely now because there is about three inches of snow on my ground. There really is nothing better to do, is there? Hopefully this chapter is longer, but we'll see when I'm done writing._

Pretty soon, it was October. The leaves were all wet and falling around the school and that meant that the annual Halloween dance was coming up at school. Obviously, Alice was going with Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett were going together. I, as always, would sit at home reading or cooking or doing whatever it was that I did when I was at home. One night in mid-October, I got a phone call at around eight at night. I answered and the sound of Rosalie's voice flitted through the receiver.

"Hey, Bella, it's Rose."

"Oh, hey, Rose, you haven't called in forever! Well, no one has called in forever, really. I just see you guys at school every day. So, what's up?"

"Well you know the Halloween dance coming up?" she asked. I internally groaned.

"...Yeah..." I trailed off.

"Well, I just had a flash of intuition. You, Alice, and I should go dress shopping in Port Angeles tomorrow, you know, since it's Friday and we get off for a half day at noon. And the dance is in two weeks! We need something good to wear."

"Okay, first of all, you and Alice have enough clothes to start a store or two, and secondly, I'm not going to the dance. I can't dance, and I don't have a date. I know I might not be on the top of the social world, but I know that if a person shows up to a dance without a date, they will look pathetic."

"You will not look like a loser. Besides, you should at least go with us to shop! I mean, we do need someone to tell us how fabulous we look." It was no joke, either, especially for Rosalie. She loved to have people think and tell her that she was beautiful. Yeah, she might have been vain, but I didn't really care. We cared for each other and put up with our differences.

"Thanks for saying I won't look like a loser," I said. I paused for a minute gathering my thoughts. Could going dress shopping really be that horrible? "I guess I could go shopping with you guys, but I am not going to the dance. I'm way too clumsy. I'd probably end up breaking my leg if I even attempted to walk across the dance floor."

Rosalie just laughed. "Okay, well, then I guess I'll pick you and Alice up for school in the morning and then we'll all go up there and I'll drive you home... or we could have a sleep-over! We haven't done that since last year!"

"Yeah, that sounds good," I stopped. "Crap, I forgot, I have some errands to run after school, so how about I just drive to school and then I'll meet you guys up there somewhere... How about McDonald's? We can eat lunch..." I heard her groan. "Come on, Rosalie, one meal at McDonald's won't make you gain any weight." She was very health-conscious because she didn't want anything to ruin her perfect body. She groaned again.

"Well, if my ass gets fat, I'm blaming you. Alice won't be happy about it either, you know."

"Alice is a stick. She'll be fine, too. So, I'll just pick up my groceries and then meet you there and we can go shopping. We'll both drive home and spend the night at your house, right?"

"That's right. See you tomorrow, I guess."

"Yeah, goodnight, Rose."

"'Goodnight?' Bella, It's only eight!"

"Yeah, so?"

"Nevermind, honey. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

"Bye, Bells." I heard a click as she hung up. I went downstairs to my parents. They were watching television.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, Bells, what's up?"

"Well, Rosalie Hale just called me and she was wondering if I could go with her and Alice to Port Angeles tomorrow afternoon. I will buy the groceries like you asked and then I'll go up there by myself. Is that okay?"

"Oh, yeah. You need to get out more," he chuckled. "Why are you going to Port Angeles, though?"

"Buying dresses for the Halloween dance. It's a masquerade," I said. My mother spoke now.

"Oh, honey! You're going to the dance! We need to figure out how we're going to do your hair and makeup, and then we're-"

"Whoa, Mom," I interrupted her. "I'm just _helping them _buy dresses. I'm not going." I hated to crush her dreams. Since I was little, she'd always wanted me to be more outgoing and want to be more girly and want to do stuff like this. It just wasn't who I was. I had too much of my father's personality.

"Oh... well, still, I think it's good that you're getting out. You haven't done anything with the girls since over the summer." Her face had fallen slightly, but she was still happy. I was glad. I loved to see my parents pleased.

"Okay, well, I'm going to bed. 'Night, I love you."

"I love you, too," they both said in unison as I walked back up the stairs to my room.

The next day was a blur. I sat in all my classes for about half of the regular time. I had no idea why we were getting out half-day, we just did this about once a month, but I wasn't about to complain. Pretty soon, the final bell rang and I was out the door and in my truck, on my way to the Thriftway. I usually did this for my parents, who were always busy. It wasn't like I had anything better to do anyway. I usually bought groceries home for them. It was something nice I could do after they were the ones who had given me so much.

After the shopping was done, I dropped the food and backpack off at the house and went to get my purse out of my closet. I never had a need for it on a regular basis, so I just kept it up here. Pretty soon, I was rushing as fast as my ancient truck could go down the highway to Port Angeles.

Rose and Alice were already there waiting and complaining, of course.

"Calm down, guys. You know they have salads too." After that, they quit complaining and chose instead to think about what colors they wanted in their dresses. I smiled and nodded while eating my double cheeseburger while they did all the talking. After we were finished, we were off to the stores. After about five hours, Rose thought she had found "the one."

"Okay, I like this," Rosalie said, wearing a stunning, floor length, deep purple dress. It was strapless and elegant and looked like it was made for Rosalie.

"Oh, it's so good for you!" Alice squealed. She had found her dress at the last store. It was a hot pink halter with sparkles on it and made her look beautiful, but it still had a fun edge to it. _A/N: Links to pictures of dresses are on my profile._ I was happy to see that my friends had found perfect dresses, but I still had some things to do.

"Guys, I want to go over to the bookstore," I said. I needed something new to read. "I'll go over there and meet up with you at Rosalie's house. Is that okay?"

"Sure, nerd," Alice said, leaning over to kiss my cheek as she walked over to Rose's car. "Just don't stay out too late," she said sarcastically.

"Very funny, Alice. I should be there at about 7." It was five o'clock now. An hour at the bookstore, an hour home. That should be good. I watched as they drove, squealing out of the parking lot and waving back at me, rushing down the road. It was just a little chilly now, but nothing I couldn't handle. The sun was out still, slowly setting. I was glad that it had been a sunny day. I loved the sun, but so little of it peaked through the clouds in Forks.

I started up my truck and drove down the road to the bookstore. I walked up and down the aisles, just looking at all the titles. I tended to do that. My parents didn't make much money, so it was rare when I got to get a new book. That must have been why I treasured my books so much. Since I had come to junior high, I had eaten just an apple every day at lunch. There was a reason for that. I saved the little money I got every day for my lunch and used it to buy books. I might have been hungry, but at least I had my books. They were always going to be there for me when I needed it and wouldn't leave me and go off to run on some stupid course every day. They wouldn't just basically ignore me for five and a half years. It was rare that I thought how much it hurt when Edward had stopped talking to me. I realized I had tears in my eyes as I picked up a book with a shiny green cover... the same as Edward's eyes. I decided to push that thought out of my mind as I dried my tears and went up to the elderly lady at the cash register. I got my book and rushed to my truck, which was parked five blocks away around the corner.

It was barely 5:45. I threw my new book in the truck and quickly but carefully leapt into my truck. I fumbled around in my purse for my keys, and eventually pulled them out. I stuck the key in and turned them. I sat there expecting the roar of my truck's engine to rumble through my entire body, but nothing. I turned the key back and tried again. I took the key out and tried again. I waited for a moment. Nothing. I didn't have a cell phone to try to get ahold of anyone and the sun was finally almost set. I sighed and went out to find a payphone in the chilly autumn night.

_A/N: As I said, here is the link to the dress pictures is on my profile._ _So there you go. I'll try to have the next chapter up later on today or tonight. If not, then tomorrow morning. As always, thanks so much for reading, please review and/or message me. I'm going up! 3 people have this on alerts and 2 people have put it on favorites. Thank you guys so much!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: Sorry for you guys on alerts who got those three e-mails. It wasn't uploading right, so I had to go in and fix it. I decided to write this chapter now because I was bored. Hopefully, you guys will recognize this. Here you go..._

The sun was now setting rapidly as I entered the bookstore just as it was about to close. I had looked along the side of the street as I walked along, but there were no pay phones, so might as well as the nice old lady.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I was wondering if you knew if there was a payphone or a telephone around here that I could use," I said politely in the sweetest voice I could manage. I was trying to hide my anxiety, and not doing a very good job of it.

"Of course, young lady," the nice shopkeeper said. I felt a hand touch my shoulder and I turned to see a pair of dazzling green eyes.

"Bella," Edward said to me, and then he turned to address the nice old woman. "Never mind the phone, I have one, ma'am." He pulled out a shiny silver cell phone from his back pocket, grabbed my hand, and laid it in my palm.

"But do you happen to have a phone book that I could borrow? I'm sorry to ask you all of this right as you're about to close," I said sheepishly. The woman smiled at me.

"I do have a phone book, and it's completely fine, dear. I can see you're in need of this right now. It's just back here," she said, turning to go back in a room around the corner. "I'll be right back." I turned on Edward.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Shopping for a book. It's what one usually does in a bookstore," he laughed. "It was a Friday night with no meet to go to and I had no new reading material. Anyway, enough about me, what might you be doing here?" he turned on me.

"Alice, Rosalie, and I were dress shopping... for the Halloween dance, you know."

He raised his eyebrow. "You're going to the dance? No offense, but you're so clumsy that just walking across the dancefloor could become a hazard for anyone within a three mile radius."

"That's what I said to them! And that's also why I'm not going. I don't have a date, and only losers go to dances without dates," I explained to him. Guys normally didn't get little things like that that girls did. They don't normally see the problem with things like going to a dance without a date, but Edward seemed to understand right away.

"Okay. I guarantee you, though, that you are not a loser," he said softly. We then heard the old woman come back with the book. She handed me the dusty thing as I turned to the yellow pages. Edward saw what I was turning to.

"What's wrong with your truck?" he said. The old woman looked at us with an odd grin on her face, like she could see something happening. I ignored it, but then she spoke.

"I don't mean to pry, but do you two know each other?" she asked. Edward answered.

"Yeah, we go to school together."

"Oh, well that's nice. I'm glad she found you, since it sounds like she may be in a bit of trouble." It was then that I finally answered Edward's question.

"Well, it wouldn't start and so I decided to call a mechanic. I'm no good with things like this," I replied.

"I'll go take a look at it really quick. Can I have your key?" I nodded and handed it to him. He turned and went out the door. I returned to my searching and found the phone number of several mechanics in town. But all were closed. I had almost given up hope when Edward returned.

"What?" he said, as he saw the look of despair on my face.

"I can't get ahold of any of them."

"Let me try." He took the phone from me and on the first try, he began talking into the mouthpiece. "Yes, my truck is out here by 943 West Main Street and I took a look at it, and I'm pretty sure my battery is dead and the engine doesn't look too well, either." He paused. "Okay. Sure. I'll be waiting... Thanks... Goodbye." He shut the phone and returned it to his pocket and looked at me. "Your battery is fried and your engine is pretty messed up," he said, "but they should be here to tow it in about ten minutes."

"Did you make sure this place was affordable?" I asked.

"Don't worry, if you can't cover it, I'll pay for it."

"Edward, I-"

"Don't worry," he repeated. "I'm not sure this is a problem they'll be able to fix overnight anyway." I groaned and put my head in my hands. I then turned to the lady and handed her back her phone book.

"Thank you for this," I said. She took the book back and looked worried.

"So you got someone to help you?" I nodded. "That's good. Is there anything else I can do to help? I live upstairs and so it wouldn't be a problem if you needed anything for right now." Goodness, she was so sweet. I smiled.

"Oh, no, that's okay, I'm sure you want to go upstairs now and close up, and I have to go wait for the tow, so I'll leave now, but thank you so very much."

"It's no problem. Please come back sometime!"

"I will," I promised as Edward opened the door for me and allowed me to go out. We stood by the truck and waited for a few minutes until the tow pulled up. We then explained to the man what had happened and took Edward's Volvo to the garage, where they took a look and explained to me in big fancy terms what was wrong with my truck. All that it came down to was I was not driving my truck home that night. I hung my head as Edward spoke to me.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get you something to eat and drive you home. It'll be all right," he said, trying to sooth my nerves.

"I don't have much money," I replied.

"I'll pay, it's not a problem."

"Really, I shouldn't let you do this for me," I said as we sat in the Volvo and he started the car.

"It's what friends do, remember? You said no matter what, we'd always be friends, and that is what I'm doing right now: being your friend." We sped down the road to a semi-fancy looking Italian restaurant. I felt bad about making Edward pay for it, but it wouldn't do me any good to reject it. We took a table in the back and ordered Cokes. We sat in silence for a few minutes until he broke the silence.

"I sort of miss talking to you," he said. It surprised me that he would say something like that. I was just a loser he used to be friends with five and a half years ago.

"I sort of miss that too," I admitted.

"I wonder why that is," he mused.

Because you decided I wasn't good enough for you to be around, I thought in my head, but didn't say out loud. I was grateful that he couldn't read my mind. Our waitress then returned, attempting to take our orders as well as flirt with Edward. She wasn't doing a very good job of it. I could have done a better job. I felt an odd feeling as I watched her do this. It was foreign to me, but I knew what it was: jealousy. Jealousy that she could flirt with Edward. That she had confidence to do this. There was another feeling I felt deep in the pit of my stomach as well: Anger. I was angry that she had the nerve to try this as well. I felt as if I had some claim on Edward, like he was mine, but he wasn't. He wasn't anything to me anymore. So why did I feel like this?

We both ordered mushroom ravioli and waited. The night had become cold and the restaurant's temperature wasn't helping. I involuntarily shivered, even though I had my jacket on. Edward shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to me. I wasn't about to object.

"Thank you," I said to him, putting my arms through the holes. His jacket smelled very good, I noted. It wasn't like those regular nasty jocks that smelled like the inside of Hollister, a store I abhorred. It smelled like nothing else in the world and I could have sat there all day smelling it, but that would be creepy and I don't think Edward would have liked that very much. I had an urge to talk to him, but I had no idea what to say. As if he had read my exact thoughts, he began to speak.

"So you helped Alice and Rosalie buy dresses?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Not much fun for you, huh?" He had a cute crooked grin on his face as I answered.

"Not really. I just came so I could go to the bookstore, to be honest," I said. "I'm glad I did, by the way. I don't know what I would have done without you tonight. Thank you so much."

"It's not a problem, really. I'd want you to do the same for me. As I've always said, I love helping people." I was glad he was being so sweet to me. He really hadn't changed from what he used to be. I regretted not listening to Alice before. At that moment, our food arrived, which left our mouths occupied for a while. We got back in the car as I looked at the clock for the first time in a while.

"Crap!" I exclaimed.

"What?" he asked, looking alarmed.

"Well, I'm supposed to meet up at Rose's house, and I was supposed to be there by seven. I'm already five minutes late now."

"Use my phone," he said, placing it in my palm. Our hands brushed and a shiver ran down my spine. "Are you cold?" he asked.

"Oh, no, why?"

"You shivered again."

"It's nothing," I lied. I cursed myself silently as I dialed the number and talked to Rose.

"Hey, Rosalie? I had a little bit of trouble back at the bookstore, and I'm fine, but I won't be there until about eight," I said.

"Why?" she asked.

"I'll explain when we get there."

"We? Who's we?" Alice said, apparently having picked up the other receiver in the house and trying to find out anything she could.

"Bye, guys," I said as I hung up. I handed the phone back to Edward and our hands brushed again. I was able to control myself enough not to shiver this time. What was wrong with me? Ugh.

We took off like a bat out of hell from the parking lot. We raced down the deserted highway towards Forks. I wanted him to slow down, but not because I was afraid of him wrecking. I just didn't want this night to end, even if I had had a catastrophe. I just wanted to stay with Edward forever. We talked about little things on the way home, like school and our parents. I noticed that, unlike normal teenagers, we actually halfway got along with our parents. During the course of the evening, I had found out that Edward and I had much more in common than I had thought when we were twelve years old. All too soon, we pulled up in front of Rosalie's house.

"Would you think Rosalie would mind if I came in for a second to talk to Alice? My mom needed me to ask her something today and I forgot to ask."

"No, I think it'd be okay," I said. I slowly got out of the car and walked into the house with Edward at my side. Rose's parents' car hadn't been in the driveway, so I knew that they weren't home.

"Rose? Alice?" I called out to them as I rounded the corner, heading into the living room.

"Where the hell have you been, Isabella Marie?" Alice screeched at me.

"Isabella Marie?" Edward said smiling.

"Shut up," I said addressing both of them. Alice responded to Edward.

"It's a beautiful name, Edward Anthony Masen, so do what Bella said and shut up." Apparently, she missed that I had said "shut up" to both of them. "What are you doing here?"

"Mom wanted me to ask you about the suitcases. You know, when you and your sister borrowed them to go shopping in New York so you could get 'the good stuff'? Well, she needs them back because she and Dad are going to Europe in November, and they need them."

"Are you going?" she asked.

"Not that I'm aware of. I have school, remember? And so do you. I think you forget that, and that's why your grades are so bad."

"Are you staying with us?" she inquired as she ignored that last crack at her intelligence.

"Most likely."

"Ugh. Oh, well. Yeah, I'll bring them over tomorrow morning," she said. "Well, bye." She walked out of the room. I started to take the jacket off.

"No, keep it. Just in case you get cold again."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Anyway, I guess I'll see you later." He waved a little and then walked out the way he came. I went to the window and watched him drive off. I then went into the living room and laid down all of my things as I was bombarded with questions. I explained that my truck died and I happened to run into Edward at the bookstore and he had been nice enough to help me out. They eventually dropped the subject and we decided to watch a girly, semi-funny movie, with a really cute guy... well, according to Alice and Rosalie. He (according to them) had the perfect blue eyes and dark hair. I, on the other hand, was only thinking about one pair of shining green eyes and bronze hair.

As I sat there, I realized that I had done it. I had finally become the girl that Alice always wanted me to be. The boy-crazy teenager with her head filled with thoughts of her perfect guy. Okay, I admit, I wasn't really THAT boy-crazy. But I had accomplished what Alice had always wanted for me: find some unattainable guy to think about constantly and hang on his every word and watch his every move and love it. I knew what I had: a crush. That's what was wrong with me. But what would Alice think if she found out my crush was on her cousin? I pondered this as the movie reached its end.

_A/N: Some inspirations for me during the writing of this EXTREMELY LONG CHAPTER (well, for my writing, it's extremely long... I mean, my English final was only 4 pages) were the songs "Shake It" by Metro Station and "Dark Blue" by Jack's Mannequin. I know, they really didn't have anything to do with the chapter, but I listened to those songs a lot during the writing process here. Also, the movie that they were watching was _27 Dresses_ and the guy Alice and Rosalie were talking about was James Marsden. Now I have a question for you guys, since I get mixed responses for this question (well, technically, there are 2, and I think I'm gonna make a poll for this): Do you like the movie _27 Dresses_? and do you think James Marsden is good looking? Please review and/or message, and as always, thank you for reading! _


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: I was procrastinating today and I went out with my family, so I was tired. I'm also watching _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ and I'm practically drooling over Robert Pattinson as I attempt to write..._

Over the next few weeks, I tried to avoid Edward as much as possible. I wanted to avoid looking at his perfect hair, his perfect eyes, his perfect body, his perfect smile. I know, this doesn't sound like what a typical teenaged girl would do about the guy she liked, but I wasn't the typical teenaged girl when it came to boys. With this, I had to keep a clear mind and not remind myself of anything having to do with Edward.

I did everything possible to keep my thoughts from wandering. I threw myself into helping Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett with anything they might need help with, from homework to help getting ready for the big dance on Halloween night. I sat at home and watched some "scary" movies that happened to be on, since it was Halloween, after all. My parents had decided to go out for the night and I was glad to stay at home and have candy duty. Not many trick or treaters visited, but I enjoyed making a few of the neighborhood kids happy by giving them cheap treats.

As the night went on, less and less trick or treaters came, so I was able to continue watching the "scary" movies. They weren't really scary, they were actually sort of cheap and corny. I found myself wondering what it would have been like if Edward was here. Would I pretend to be scared just so I could hold onto him or lean in close? Or would I laugh about the cheap special effects and horrible plotline and sub-par acting.

At around eleven, my parents still weren't home. I decided I would keep up the movie marathon, seeing as I had nothing else to do. The movie that was on was one that I actually found myself liking, not because it was scary, but because it seemed like it could be a classic and it was original and fun. It was called _Fright Night, _and it was about vampires. Of course, there were no such things as vampires, though.

Eventually, at about one in the morning, my parents rolled in. They had been out at a restaurant, and they said they were having such a good time and talking that they just stayed out and that they were sorry for staying out so late.

"No, Mom, Dad, it's no big deal. You guys need a break once in a while, I understand," I said to them.

"I just felt bad all night because I kept thinking you might change your mind about going to the dance," my mom said to me softly.

"I didn't change my mind. I was perfectly content sitting here watching old horror movies that really weren't that horrific," I chuckled. "I think I'm going to bed," I said, standing up and moving my stiff legs. I said goodnight and walked up the stairs to my room.

As I did every night, before I fell asleep, I thought about Edward. I had begun dreaming about him. That night, because of the movie I suppose, I dreamt he was a vampire. Instead of him being scary and monster-like, I found him looking as the facade version of the vampire in _Fright Night (A/N: Picture link on profile) _had been to the unsuspecting humans_, _handsome (as always) and charming. I found myself not wanting to run away from him in fear, but I came towards him. I wanted him to bite me. He walked towards me slowly and began leaning his head towards my throat. His lips had almost met the spot just below my jaw when I woke up.

Over the next week or two, I couldn't help remembering that dream when he would come to sit next to me in biology. I would remember how magnificent he looked as he leaned his face close to mine. I imagined what it would be like to feel his lips on my skin. He had become my obsession, and I couldn't get rid of him now. I needed to think of him or I would die.

"Bella, we need another sleepover," Alice said to me over the phone one Wednesday night in mid-November. "You've been acting weird lately and I think we need some girl time."

"Alice, we just had girl time a month ago," I complained. "I think it's a little too early for anything that drastic again." I really wasn't in the mood to deal with Alice being girly.

"You're coming. You have to come there. My parents will be out of town next weekend because they have to drive Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle to the airport anyway, so they decided they would go and visit my sister in college." she said. "And, it's our fall break." I thought about that for a moment. I tried my best to hide my feelings at that moment.

"So Edward would be there too, right?" I asked, trying to keep undercover.

"Well, yeah, but we can kick him into the other room. I promise, it'll be fine." That was all I needed to hear. I was in! I was going to do this. I would do anything if Edward was going to be within a three mile radius of it. I still remained cool on the outside though. I paused for a considerable amount of time before responding.

"Hmmm... I _guess_ I could come over for a sleepover. It wouldn't be too bad."

"That's the spirit!" Alice's voice trilled into the phone. "On Friday, I will pick you up around five to come over to my house. Then, we can have all sorts of fun!"

"Well, okay, Alice. Sounds good. See you at school!"

I was euphoric at this very moment. I would be spending at least twenty-four hours in the same house as Edward. I squealed a little before controlling myself enough to take a shower and get into bed.

I cleared what was going to happen with my parents and fought my way through school on Thursday and Friday. Lately, I had had some trouble concentrating on school, but my test grades were still all A's. I came home Friday from school and quickly took a shower. I made sure I looked good and actually took time with my hair and tried a _little _makeup. I didn't want Alice to think anything was up. I dressed in my favorite pair of jeans and my favorite blue sweater. It was a thin long-sleeved thing that hugged me in the right places to make me look halfway decent. I had just finished packing my things when I heard a honk outside of my house. I quickly rushed outside to see Alice's canary yellow Porche sitting there. I quickly climbed into the passenger seat and strapped myself in before she drove off.

We arrived at Alice's house and settled in. I had a question on my mind, but I bit my tongue. I had been wondering where Edward was, but I didn't say anything. Alice and I talked very little for the first hour I was there. Then, she decided to put in a movie, something I'd seen a million times, but didn't care for. Alice loved it though (thus, the reason I'd seen it a million times). During the last few minutes of the movie, the door opened and Edward walked out from around the corner. I tried to ignore him, but I was like a bug around a lightbulb - I couldn't ignore it; it was like he was dragging me to him.

"Gosh, Alice, how many times have you seen this piece of crap?" he asked.

"Shut up, it's sad," Alice said with tears in her eyes. How could she cry at this.

"I'm glad to see that Bella has a lot more dignity than you do," he replied. I rejoiced internally at the fact that he had said my name. He went into the kitchen and began to make himself something to eat. As the credits began rolling, I stood up and went to the kitchen as well. I actually was hungry, I wasn't just following Edward. Alice came up behind me and grabbed my wrist.

"Oh, no you don't. We are eating nothing but junk food tonight: Coke, popcorn, chocolate, and pixie stix," she said, towing me away from the apple I was about to grab. I wasn't going to argue with her.

"I'm stealing the television, Alice," Edward said, walking to the living room.

"NO NO NO!" she squealed. "This is MY sleepover, NO BOYS ALLOWED!" She sounded like a seven year old.

"Hey, I'll leave eventually, I just want to watch something, I don't care what. I just want to watch a movie with you guys, and then I'll leave you two to do... whatever it is that girls do at these things." He looked confused as I imagined he was thinking about what sorts of things Alice and I would be talking about tonight. Alice nodded her head.

"Okay, but you can't make fun of anything we watch," Alice warned him.

"I promise."

"Hmmm... what should we watch?" Alice asked herself. "You know what we haven't watched in forever? _You've Got Mail. _Great movie. That's what we're watching."

"Fair enough," Edward said.

"That's fine," I returned.

We watched the movie and I did surprisingly well with not thinking of Edward, though he was on the couch less than a foot away from me. I had forgotten how much I liked this movie. It was sweet and funny and completely what I needed at that moment. It was the perfect cure to my problems. Again, when the credits rolled, Edward headed towards the kitchen and then upstairs toward the guest bedroom.

"I'm turning in early," he said. I silently prayed he would stay just a little while longer, but it was no use. He was already in his room.

"Okay, now the girl talk," Alice said. Groan.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Jasper, of course!" she screamed.

"Alice, shut up!" I heard Edward yell from his room. We both burst into giggling fits. When we had sobered up, Alice began again.

"So, Jasper and I are getting closer and closer. I'm just... so happy that he asked me out. And I'm glad that Rosalie hasn't killed me yet." We laughed again. "He just seems perfect for me. I know, I've told you this a million times, but every time I see him, I get butterflies and I can't remember how to think about anything but him you know?" She didn't give me enough time to respond to her question. "Well, no you really wouldn't, would you, Bella?" I thought about telling her everything, but this moment wasn't right.

"No, I don't know," I lied. I would tell her eventually. I knew I would have to. She would suspect something anyway. The night went on and we talked about movies, music, and celebrities. We talked about school and Jasper. Just the normal things you talk about at a sleepover. Eventually, Alice turned in, but I couldn't sleep. I sat up in my sleeping bag and pondered the way things had been going lately. That's when I heard a door open from upstairs. Edward made his way down and headed to the kitchen for the third time that evening. I heard the faucet and saw him turn the corner with a glass of water. He jumped a little when he saw me.

"Geez, you scared me, Bella!" he whispered loudly. "What are you doing up?"

Thinking of you, I thought. "Oh, nothing, I just couldn't sleep," I lied.

"Are you bored?" he asked.

"Yeah, a little," I admitted.

"Well, I have my laptop and I was bored as well, so would you like to come upstairs with me and watch something on Youtube?"

"Sure," I said, faking a lack of real enthusiasm. I followed him back upstairs and sat on the bed next to him, cross-legged. The laptop was in front of us and we were watching tons of outrageous, crazy things. I was having tons of fun, but I looked at the clock. It was three in the morning.

"I should get back downstairs or Alice will wake up wondering if I went out to rob a jewelry store or something," I said reluctantly.

"Okay," he replied without much enthusiasm. "Well, sweet dreams," he said to me as I climbed off the bed.

"You too. Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, Bella."

I went downstairs and climbed into my sleeping bag and drifted into a quiet, dreamless slumber. I woke at ten-thirty in the morning to the sound of Alice singing in her soprano voice as she walked through the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and made myself a bowl of cereal. I sat at the kitchen table and started to eat as Alice joined me, having with her only a glass of orange juice.

"How was your night?" Alice asked. She was unusually up and perky for a Saturday morning after being up late.

"It was fine." I paused. I had something I needed to tell her.

"Alice, I lied to you last night," I said sheepishly, blushing bright red.

"Huh?" she asked.

"What you said last night with the thing about me not knowing what it felt like to have butterflies, and stuff. I do." I wasn't making eye-contact with her. I just stared at my cereal bowl.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Bella. You're a girl!" she screamed.

"Nice work, Sherlock," I said.

"No, I mean, you have a crush!"

"Bella has a crush?" Edward said walking around the corner. My face completely fell. Oh, no.

"No, I don't," I lied, still blushing.

"Alice just said you did." I had no response.

"Go away, Edward, you just ruined the moment! This is the first time Bella has opened up to me about any of these types of things and you go and ruin it! Argh!" she screamed.

"Tell me who it is, Bella," he said sweetly.

"No," I said firmly. He was not finding out.

"I promise I won't laugh."

"No."

"Please?" he practically begged. He was probably going to find out some other time anyway. I thought for a moment.

"...Maybe... Eventually... down the road."

"I won't forget," he said as he walked off.

Alice had already gone out of the room, she was so mad at Edward. She didn't bug me about it because she new that in time, it would come out of me. She knew me well enough to know that. I couldn't believe that I had said that I would eventually tell him. He wouldn't forget. What had I done?

_A/N: I absolutely had to pimp my favorite movie of all time, _Fright Night, _in this. It's a really good movie from 1985 and I love it and I used to watch it with my dad all the time when I was little. It is rated R though. Anyway, Jerry is (to most people) an attractive man, but really, he's an ugly vampire and he's really evil, but anyway, I put the pictures on my thingy and the link is on my profile. The movie that Alice was watching and was crying in was _The Notebook, _because I had that stupid piece of s***, over-rated movie. Honestly. Sorry to offend anyone, but it's just my opinion. I think this is the worst chapter I've written so far, but please review to help make my chapters better. I have a half-day tomorrow and get out at 1, so I can update two times tomorrow, possibly. I procrastinated today, as I said, and then I watched the new _Librarian_ movie because I love them because A) It's about a librarian and you have to know my inside history with librarians, and B) because this one was about vampires. Anyway, really really long author's note, thanks for reading as always! I love you!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: I was on my way to school this morning, when I realized I had forgotten an important part of the story that needed to be fixed, thus, I have this chapter. Enjoy!_

Alice dropped me off in my house around noon. My parents were out again, so I had the house to myself. I sat down on the couch and sat in silence. I heard a shrill ring as I heard the telephone ring. It was the mechanic from Port Angeles.

I had almost forgotten about my truck being in Port Angeles, since I really had no need for it. Alice picked me up for school in the morning and drove me home at night. My parents had been doing the grocery shopping, so I hadn't needed it there. I rarely did things outside of school. It had been a month since my truck had broken down, but it had taken so long for the parts. It was hard to come along the parts to a 1953 Chevy Pickup.

After I got off the phone with the mechanic, I dialed Alice's cell number. It went straight to voicemail. She must have either forgot her phone or she was over at Jasper's house. Probably the second option. I then dialed her home phone number. The phone rang three times, and then a masculine voice answered.

"Hello," he said.

"Edward? It's Bella."

"Oh, hey, Bella. Wasn't Alice just at your house?"

"Yeah, but I have a problem," I started, but he interrupted me.

"What is it, Bella?" he asked urgently.

"It's not really a big emergency, I'm exaggerating," I admitted. I heard him sigh in relief.

"Bells, don't scare me like that. You're going to cause me to go prematurely gray," he laughed. It made me happy to know he cared about me. I had almost forgotten what we were talking about when he continued. "So, what was it? Can I help?" he asked.

"Well, I just got the call that my truck is fixed and it's in Port Angeles, but I have no way to get up there because my parents are out right now, and I'm sure Alice would love an excuse to go up there to shop or look around, but apparently she's not around."

"I could drive you, if you wanted," he said. I smiled.

"Would you? That would be fabulous if you could!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, it's not a big deal, really. It isn't like I have anything better to do or anywhere to go," he said. "I'll be there in about five minutes, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be ready."

After I got off the phone with him, I got my purse again and got the money my parents had put aside to help me pay for the repairs. I quickly put on a minimal amount of makeup, just some eyeliner and lip gloss and waited on my couch. I tried to calm my nerves, for I was thinking about spending the afternoon with Edward alone... well, at least an hour of it. Suddenly, I heard a rap at my front door. I grabbed my things and went to meet Edward. I opened the door and he stood there in the light rain, magnificent. I shut the door behind me and quickly walked to the Volvo. I got in the passenger side and buckled up.

"So, how come it took so long for you to get your truck?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I think it's because my truck is so old. It's a-"

"1953 Chevy, I know." He knew his automobiles.

"Yeah," I said. After that, we sat in silence for a few minutes. The silence finally got to be too much for Edward, and he turned on his CD player. A classical piece drifted through the car. He reached to take it out, mumbling an apology.

"Yeah, sorry, you probably don't want to listen to that," he said, reaching towards the button to take out the CD. I reached out pulling his hand away.

"No, I love Debussy! Honestly," I said. I truly did like this music.

"Really?" he asked, pulling his hand back to the wheel. "You know this?"

"Yes." I giggled, remembering my mom making me listen to this stuff and memorize what each song sounded like and who composed it.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just remembering my mom. She used to make me listen to this stuff for hours a day. I had to memorize what these sounded like and then memorize the composer. I never liked it, but I can appreciate it now. I just didn't like it when I was nine."

"My mom loves music," Edward said, smiling. I could tell he loved and respected his mother. "She taught me everything I know now about music. I took lessons with her until I was fifteen."

"Really? You don't seem like the musical type. Well, you used to, before..." I trailed off.

"Yeah, before I started running. I looked like such a dork back then. Honestly, what was I thinking?"

"You looked fine," I said, defending his old self. My friend. "There was nothing wrong with it. That was who you were."

"Yeah. I still actually try in school, you know. Everyone on the team gives me crap for it, but I still really want to succeed and be a doctor. I won't be able to run like this forever, you know." He glanced over at me, his green eyes happy and full of something I couldn't place.

We were now at the garage. I got out and went to talk to the mechanics. Edward and I looked under the hood at the new things that had been put in. I payed the mechanics what I owed and thanked them. I walked around the truck to get in, but Edward grabbed my hand.

"Bella, do you want to do something today? I mean, do you have anything else to do? Because if you don't, I would love to just hang out, you know? I told you I wanted to get back to where we were, and this would be a start." I stared into his green eyes and lost my train of thought. It took me a moment to recover.

"No, I don't have anything to do," I said as I smiled back at him.

"Really? Well, what do you want to do?" he asked.

"I thought you were already supposed to know this," I said, raising one eyebrow.

"Not in the slightest. It's all up to you." I pondered that for a moment. I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I just wanted to be with him.

"How about," I began, " we just walk around here? I know it's cold, but we can stop for coffee and just stop in all the little shops. We can just be tourists for today, if you want."

"As you wish," he said. It reminded me of Westley in _The Princess Bride._ All that did was make my heart do flip-flops. "Do you mind if we just take your truck and then stop back out here to get my car, since it's already parked on the curb?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. We got in and drove around the block. I parked under a tree on the curb. We got out and walked down the street, stopping in almost every shop down the road. We laughed until we almost cried, we made a few immature comments, and we just talked about how things were in our lives and our feelings. I know, it sounds completely sappy, but it was really sweet that we were opening up to one another.

After we were done on that side of the street, we turned the corner and went to the coffee shop and discussed things there. Caffeine made me talk a lot more, too. We walked down the shops until we got to the end of that block. Edward turned to me.

"We have one more place to go," he said. I was confused.

"What? Where?" I asked.

"Come on." He grabbed my hand and led me down the street. My hand felt perfect in his as we walked. It was like our hands were made specifically to fit inside each others. He led me to the bookstore that he had found me in a month ago. We walked in and the old woman greeted us.

"Hello! Oh, I remember you too! The girl with the broken truck and the nice, handsome boy!"

"Yeah, that's us, but my name is Edward and this is Bella," he said, introducing us.

"Well, my name is Janet. I'm going to let you in on a little secret," she said, looking around, making sure no one else was in the shop. "I have to say, you kids are my favorite customers. I don't know what it is about you two, but you guys stick out of the crowd, and I really like you both. You both seem like such nice, sweet kids, so tell you what: you guys pick one thing each out of here and you can have it for free." I was amazed... a free book!

"Oh, thank you so much, Janet!"

"Don't mention it, really. I like you kids."

"Hey, I'm gonna go look around, okay, Bella?" Edward said.

"Yeah, hey, I'll be there in a second, Edward," I said as I was looking at a few books and bookmarks sitting around the checkout counter.

"Bella," the woman began softly, "I see it."

"What?" I asked, examining myself. "Did I have something spilled on myself? Because that had been known to happen.

"Not on the outside, dear. On the inside. I can see how much you care for that boy. Does he know your feelings?" I looked down at the floor as I responded.

"...No, not exactly, but I was planning on telling him eventually," I said sheepishly, a blush setting into my cheeks.

"Don't wait too long, sweetheart," Janet said. "I've been around the block a time or two, and believe me, don't let him get away. I wouldn't be surprised if he cared for you as well. You would make a beautiful pair, really, you would."

"Thank you for the advice," I said sincerely.

"You're welcome. I'd hate to see you hurt. Just go for it, honey. It doesn't have to be today, or tomorrow, but it needs to be soon."

"Thank you for everything," I said, walking away to join Edward. I walked up behind him and he turned to me.

"So, which one do you think I should get?" he asked, holding up two books: one with a fiery pit on the front and one with a dragon.

"Neither." I smiled and took them both from him, looking at the description of each before choosing the one with the dragon.

"That was the one I was leaning towards," he replied. "We have another thing in common," he said, bringing back that old inside joke. We laughed. I grabbed a fairly thick book with a cover only using the colors black, white, and red. It was a supernatural romance and looked pretty good. Edward groaned as I said I was going to buy it. We might have had some things in common, but we still had our differences.

We walked up to say goodbye to Janet. Edward started towards the door as she winked at me and I smiled, mouthing the words "Thank you" to her. She mouthed "You're welcome." We found my truck and drove back to the shiny silver Volvo on the curb. I parked right in front of the Volvo and got out of the truck.

"I want something from the vending machine," I said, going to put my money in, but Edward beat me there.

"You shouldn't have to pay," he said.

"No, I want to," I replied, but his money was already in.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Hmmm... I want a Carmello," I said.

"Me too." We got our candy bars and headed towards our vehicles. "I'm gonna follow you home, just to make sure you get there okay, okay?" he said, his mouth full of chocolate and caramel.

"Sure, that's fine," I replied. We both started down the road. The trip home seemed incredibly long and boring without Edward there. After what seemed like an eternity, we pulled into my house. My parents were still gone. I parked my truck and got out. Surprisingly, so did Edward.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked.

"Uh, maybe for a few minutes." We went in from the cold mist falling outside and went into the kitchen. I laid my things out on the counter and then went to the couch.

"You can sit down, if you want to," I said. He walked over and sat right beside me. I turned on the television to the History Channel. There was a World War I documentary on. We both got sucked into it until the very end. Then, he looked at his watch.

"Darn it," he muttered.

"What?"

"It's ten. I probably should be getting home. I had fun today, Bella," he said. He got up and I walked him to the door.

"Oh, before I forget, you should probably get this back," I said handing him his jacket. I had slept next to it every night since he had given it to me, until his smell faded from it. "So, I'll see you at school, I guess." I was sad to see him leave.

"Yeah. Come here," he said. I complied. He grabbed me up for a few long seconds in his strong, warm arms. I felt whole there. This was the best feeling in the world. I smelled his scent and breathed it in deeply. When he pulled away, I felt something brush the top of my head.

"I've missed you, Bells. I'm glad we got to do something today," he said. He then opened the door and walked out to his car. I watched out the window until I could no longer see his car and then went to my couch and sat down smiling. This had been the best day of my life.

_A/N: There you go. I went to write the chapter that was supposed to come after this, and I was thinking "But I haven't given Bella her truck back" because I completely forgot, so I threw this chapter in. And yes, Edward kissed the top of her head there at the end, she just doesn't realize it._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: Not really much to say, but this chapter is going to be close to me. Here you go._

Slowly but surely, Edward and I were becoming friends again. The first week after we picked up my truck, Edward sat with me at lunch two days. He wore the jacket I had borrowed every day now. We recalled the old times and talked about everything under the sun. I would talk about everything with Edward... everything but one special thing.

Edward was right: he wasn't going to forget that I finally had a crush. He didn't ask me every day, but he asked at least three times a week. I would just shrug it off, saying things like, "No, not yet," and "I can't tell you right now, maybe later." It felt like peer pressure.

Now, not only was Edward reconnecting with me, but he was getting closer to the rest of the group as well. I had been right before, when he had first come to Forks. He was a combination of all different types of cliques. He could talk to Jasper about feelings and art and music and emotion. He could talk to Rosalie about fashion and celebrities and whatever else she needed to talk about. He could talk to Emmett about football and sports and guy stuff. Alice was just like his sister. I felt like I could talk to him about anything.

It was almost time for our Christmas Break. I wouldn't like not being around Edward and the rest of my friends every day, but I was sure I would deal with it. The last day of school before the break, Alice made an announcement. She cleared her high-pitched voice and started talking in a very businesslike tone.

"Now, as you all know, Christmas Break starts tomorrow, and I think we'll all be a little sad to stay away from each other. I have a plan," she said with a mischievous grin. "New Years', as you all know, is my third favorite holiday, after Christmas and my birthday. Because of this, I have decided that I'm going to throw a huge party at my house for the six of us." Emmett was the first to speak.

"Hell yes! I am so there!" he exclaimed.

"Whoa, Emmett, calm down," Jasper said. We were all laughing now.

"Yeah, well, you guys would just spend the night at my house and we can do fun things and watch the ball drop, steal kisses, you know." She had dropped her tone and had become regular Alice again. We broke up into separate conversations after that.

"Are you going?" Edward asked me quietly.

"I guess. Are you?" I asked cautiously.

"Yeah, sure."

We went to biology. Since it was nearly Christmas, our teacher decided to be nice and give us the day off. Instead of dissecting something or looking at mold growing on fruit, today, we would be watching _Home Alone._ I had to admit, it was probably my favorite Christmas movie. Edward and I sat closer than we ever had before in the classroom. I could feel his arm brush up against mine every so often, when he or I would shift. I could feel his body heat warming my side. I wanted to touch him, to talk to him, to do something, but I couldn't.

It was at that moment I realized what I had to do. I needed to take Janet's advice. I needed to tell him how I felt. And I knew the perfect place to do it.

Edward met me after my last class of the day, gym. I hated it, but it was something I'd had to endure for eleven years. I should be used to the humiliation by now. We walked out to my truck and talked.

"So you're sure you're going to Alice's?" he asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Yes, I will most definitely be there."

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you there." He pulled me into a tight hug for a moment before opening the door for my truck and helping me in. I pulled off the lot with my nerves on end and I began planning what I would do.

Christmas was a rush. I remember getting several nice things from my parents. Clothes and books, mostly, but a copy of that _Fright Night _movie on DVD that I had liked. I wasn't really worried about Christmas so much as I was worried about the next week.

New Years' Eve came quickly. I decided to dress up, even if it was a sleepover. I pulled on a gray turtleneck sweaterdress with navy blue leggings. I wore black ballet flats with a thick white headband. I drove myself over to Alice's house, in the snow, in the cold. I was as nervous as a turkey on Thanksgiving morning when I saw a silver Volvo parked in front of the house, along with a red BMW and a black Jeep. I was the last one to arrive. I walked into the warm house and went straight to sit next to Edward. They were watching MTV and eating popcorn and drinking sparkling grape juice. We occasionally would say something, but we just watched the television. After a while, Alice did what Alice usually does: gets bored.

She made us play every game under the sun, from Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution (I did not fall on my hind-quarters, thank you very much) to Sorry! and Pictionary. Luckily, Edward got tired of her games too.

"Hey, I'm going up to my room," he told her.

"It's not your room, it's MY house," she said.

"Yeah, but you never use that room and when I'm here, I do, so I claim it."

"Whatever," she sighed. She was just trying to flirt with Jasper every chance she got and didn't seem to notice anyone else.

"Bella, you coming?" Edward asked me. I couldn't resist his velvet voice.

"Uh, yeah." I followed him up to the room. I was still nervous. I had butterflies in my stomach and my palms were sweaty. My knees were shaking and always were threatening to give out. We reached the room and I sat on the bed as he sat on the computer chair. I was too nervous to talk. We sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"I-" we both said at the same time. "You first," he said. I gulped loudly and stood up. I faced the door for a few minutes, gathering all the courage I had within my fragile human body as I turned to him.

"You know how you kept wanting to know who I liked?"

"Yeah..." he trailed off.

"Well, I decided that for my New Years' Resolution that I would tell you who it was." I paused again. I concentrated on not hyperventilating. What was he going to think? What would his reaction be? Oh, gosh.

"Yes, and..." he said. I took a long, drawn out breath.

"You see, that's the thing. It's sorta kinda... you."

_A/N: Well, there you go, a nice cliffhanger. I know, I'm mean, but I had to. Don't worry, I'll update tomorrow afternoon. Thank you to all who read and favorited. I've decided to tell you guys why this is chapter is so important to me, but I'll do that when I have finished the story and I'll have and FAQ page. Don't forget to go to my poll and tell me what you thought of _27 Dresses!_ Thanks again!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: Here you go. Again, this chapter is special to me, and you'll find out why later. Also, I was completely unsure of what I was going to have happen in this chapter until right before I wrote it, but more about that later..._

__I sat there in silence, holding my breath. The only sound I could hear was the pounding beat of my own heart as it was threatening to fly out of my chest. After three incredibly long seconds, I looked up at Edward's face. It was a mask of complete surprise. Luckily, he didn't look angry or disgusted, so that was a start. He finally broke the silence.

"Are you serious?" he said, with a look of complete disbelief. I nodded as an answer to his question. "Wow." He sat there for a few minutes. "Just... wow..." I decided to speak.

"I know, you probably don't like me, so just, forget I ever said anything. I really like your friendship and we just got back to that, and I really really don't want this to be awkward," I said in a rush. I was surprised he understood me, my words were coming so fast. I ran my hand through my thick hair again. It was probably a mess. I probably looked horrid right now. Again, it was silent. It was awkward already. I could tell.

"Please say something," I pleaded. It made me feel weird, just standing there after I had professed my love... well, almost.

"How long?" he asked softly, his eyes burning into mine.

"Consciously or subconsciously?" I asked. He didn't answer. I went on. "Well, I guess I've had a thing for you since the sixth grade," I said and I watched his eyes widen with shock, but I continued. "But I guess I just didn't realize it until after you helped me out in Port Angeles."

"Really? That long? Gosh, sixth grade? When I was a complete nerd?"

"Yes, that long ago, and if you were a nerd in sixth grade, you still are one now. You've only changed on the outside." We were quiet for a long time. I looked down at my shoes and I could feel his eyes on me.

"It's almost midnight," he said quietly. I nodded. Surprisingly, he took my hand and led me down the stairs. Alice was nearly jumping up and down out of anticipation, Jasper was sitting there nonchalantly, and Rose and Emmett were curled up in each others arms. I sat down on the couch next to Jasper, Edward sat on my other side. The ball began dropping and we all started counting down together.

"10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... WOOO!!!!" We all screamed. Jasper leaned over to Alice for a kiss, and Rosalie did the same to Emmett. I sat there looking at the floor.

"Bella," Edward said. I turned to him. "I think it would be a shame not to ring in the new year with a kiss."

My heart stopped. He was leaning towards me slowly. I leaned in as well. Finally, I felt his lips touch mine softly. It felt perfect and amazing. Nothing but our lips touched, and it was only for a second, but his kiss made me feel like my whole entire body was on fire. I pulled away quickly. I didn't want him to think I was taking advantage of this. No, he was just doing this to be nice, I thought to myself.

"Bell..." he began. Luckily, everyone else had been too busy making out that they hadn't noticed our little lip-lock. "Come on. You wanted me to talk, so I'm going to. Come on, upstairs, now." He grabbed my hand to pull me off the couch. We snuck back upstairs and both sat on the bed now. He took both of my hands in both of his and stared at them. It felt nice.

"Isabella, from the moment we met, I knew there was something different about you. You weren't like normal girls. You were grown up and mature, you liked literature, not trashy tabloids. You could speak to me without words." He finally looked me fully in the eyes.

"You're probably the most beautiful, amazing creature there ever was, and I'd be a fool to say that I don't like you back. I'm just surprised you waited this long to tell me," he laughed. "I, like you, have liked you subconsciously since I was twelve, and I can't believe it took me this long to realize it. When you told me your feelings, it was like a lightbulb turned on in my head. I feel stupid for ever losing your friendship, but I'm glad I did. I'm sure if I didn't, we wouldn't have the feelings we have now."

It felt like my insides were about to burst with joy. I was grinning like an idiot. I felt like I had just won an Olympic medal, an Oscar, and a Grammy all at once. But what I got wasn't made out of metal. I got the most precious thing ever: Edward's heart. There was just one thing I had to ask.

"Where do we go from here?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know. I have no experience with these types of things."

"Like I do?" We both laughed.

"Let's go on a date," he said. I was up for that.

"When?" He pondered that.

"I want it to be really special. I'll get back to you, I promise. But for now, just come here." I scooted over to him and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. It felt right, natural, easy as breathing. I never wanted to move from that spot, but of course, we were going to have to. We got up slowly and walked back downstairs. To anyone else but our group of friends, this would look wrong, us coming out of a bedroom together, but no one questioned us. Suddenly, I panicked.

"What do we tell them?" I asked urgently.

"What do you want to tell them?" I was glad he was leaving this up to me. He knew how scared I was of relationships and how I was afraid of what other people would think, not that they really mattered.

"How about I tell Alice first? That would be better." He nodded. We both knew Alice: she would want to be the first to know.

"Hey, Alice," I called, "can I talk to you for a moment privately?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure thing, Bella." She pranced over to me and we went into the kitchen. We sat at the dining room table where no one could see us. Rosalie and Emmett wouldn't have cared because they were too busy playing "In my pants" (_A/N: for the 2 people who don't know what that is, it's where you take the name of something [mostly road signs, since it's one you play when you're in the car] and at the end of the title, you add "in my pants" and a lot of 12 year olds do it. Example: "Stop... in my pants. Pedestrian crossing... in my pants. really immature, as you can see.)_ with whatever happened to be on television. Jasper and Edward were bent over a gaming magazine that Jasper had snuck in and that Alice either didn't know about (unlikely) or ignored (probably).

"What is it, Bella?" Alice asked, concern flooding her face.

"Well, I'm sort of nervous on how you're going to take this," I started. I didn't want Alice to freak out. It's Alice, I thought. She wasn't going to take it in a bad way. On the contrary, she'd probably be thrilled. I tried not to get my hopes up.

"So, Edward and I have been talking and... I guess we're sort of dating now, I guess." I held my breath and waited. Alice squealed. I was relieved.

"Alice, honey, are you okay?" Jasper called.

"Yes, Jasper, I'm fine, just so EXCITED!" she screamed. Alice will be Alice, I thought.

"So you're not mad?" I asked hesitantly, just in case.

"Bella, you silly goose, of course not!" She got up and came over to hug me. "I have to tell you some things." We walked to the other corner of the room.

"When I heard that Edward was moving to Forks, the first thing I thought was 'He will get along with Bella pretty well.' Well, then Newton happened and everything fell apart. I knew you'd be heartbroken, but I know that you don't talk about painful things. So I've been waiting and hoping for years that you two would get together. And you finally have." She grabbed my hand in both of her own. "You guys fit together. He's still a nerd, and you're still a wonderful, grown-up beautiful," I scowled, "girl. Come on, Bells, you really are. I can't be happier that Edward has found someone. I know you two will work out. It's like I can tell what's going to happen when I look at you two."

I was smiling as we went into the living room. I groaned at Emmett and Rose's game. They were both in hysterics, practically on the floor laughing when I walked in.

"Come on, guys, grow up!" I said. Emmett just came over and hugged me.

"Never, little sister," he said. That was his little nickname for me. He picked me up and lifted me over his head and I squealed.

"Put me down, Emmett!" I screamed while giggling my head off. He eventually let me down gently and I readjusted my dress. I turned to face the group and Edward came to stand by my side.

"We kinda have an announcement to make."

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!" Emmett screamed. Everyone broke into giggles, including Edward and I.

"No, stupid. Well, Edward and I have been talking and I guess we're together now." Emmett began clapping.

"My baby's all growed up," he said, fake crying. We all laughed again.

"Congratulations, you two," Rose said. "You two... I knew there was something there. Seriously. I'm really glad that two of the best people in the world finally realized what they needed." She walked over to hug us both and kiss our cheeks.

"I'm really happy for you guys," Jasper said. He wasn't a man of many words, but that said enough.

After that, we all got into our pajamas and played the lame board games and video games like before. It was so much fun and I was glad that I was with Edward now. After all of that was over (around three in the morning), we all climbed into our sleeping bags. I slept between Alice and Edward. I looked into Edward's shining, emerald eyes as I drifted into unconsciousness.

During my dream that night, I vaguely remembered being cold. I heard Edward say something, and then I felt like I was flying. When I heard Edward, I said what I'd been thinking about him all these past months.

"I love you, Edward," I whispered in my dream. And I truly did.

_A/N: It's not over yet! I really did not know what I was going to write when I sat down today. I didn't decide until I was reading _Jane Eyre _right before and I realized what I was going to do. I know it's not the longest one, but I liked it. Again, very close to me. I don't think this story will end up being as long as I originally intended. I found a way to edit things together. But I'll explain that all later, when the story is finished, like I said. Thank you so much! Review, please!!!!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: I think that my writing is getting worse the longer I go on. At this point, I'm not sure how many chapters I have left. At least two. Maybe three. But I'm not worried about that right now. No, there will not be a sequel, sorry, but I might write it from Edward's point of view. I have two ideas in mind for another fanfic, but I won't get around to that for a while, especially since play practice starts in a couple of weeks (_Wizard of Oz, _btw)._

I was awake, but did not open my eyes. My nostrils were filled with the scent of Edward, I could feel his warmth. I was perfectly still and let the moment sink in. Last night. This morning. My dream. Everything. After a few minutes, I decided to open my eyes.

I was laying at an odd angle. And I was farther to my right than I had previously been when I went to sleep. And my head was directly on top of Edward's chest. I bolted upright and pulled away from him, looking embarrassed. He was already up and laughing at me.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Well, you're quite funny when you sleep," he said, not answering my question. I gave him a glare that was supposed to be evil, but he just laughed some more. "You talk."

Oh, crap. What did I say? O my goodness. I sat there, as still as possible, as I freaked out in my mind. I tried to play this off casually.

"Oh, yeah, I know I do sometimes. So, uh, what did I say?" I was sure my cheeks were crimson.

"Nothing, really. Just that you were cold. I said I could help with that and I picked you up and moved you over here." I now noticed for the first time that our sleeping bags were both fully unzipped. Mine was underneath us both and his was on top of us both. I wondered how he had managed to do this.

"Anything else?" I asked cautiously.

"Well, just one other thing-"

"What was it?" I just wanted to get the embarrassing part over with. I looked around to make sure everyone else was gone. I noticed that it had snowed outside of the window and I could hear them all screaming from outside. I was too worried to care about them at this moment.

"You said 'I love you, Edward.'" My heart dropped. It felt like it was going to fall out of my stomach. I was sure I was either going to hyperventilate. Edward noticed, but just wrapped his arms around me.

"What's wrong with that, love?" he asked me soothingly. I reveled in the fact he had called me "love", but only for a moment. "Is it not true?" His hands were rubbing my back and it felt good. Time to face the music...

"No, it's not that. It's just... so embarrassing to have you hear like that. I thought that the first time I would tell a guy I was in love with him, I would have a little more dignity," I said. I felt him chuckle.

"I don't mind. I want to let you in on a little secret, Bella. I love you, too." My heart was about to melt. I felt like I was made out of Jell-O. And that wasn't a bad thing. I wanted to kiss him, but I was too afraid, even after last night. He wasn't afraid, though. He leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. I was glad he didn't kiss my mouth. I probably had morning breath. "Hey, Bella, come here," Edward said, getting up and looking out the window. "Let's go outside!"

"Awesome, sure, just a minute, though." I rummaged through my bag and got my things. I went to Alice's private bathroom in her room. I changed and brushed my teeth and made myself look perfect, or as perfect as I could ever come to. Then I came downstairs to see Edward, standing there, wearing dark blue jeans, a deep, blue sweater... and his black, thick-rimmed glasses. I giggled.

"What?" he said. "I'm just giving you your dream guy back. Plus, I need to use these things every once in a while. Contacts can get irritating." We walked over to put on our coats, scarves, and gloves. We held hands as we walked outside. Then, a snowball hit Edward square on the side of the cheek. Emmett. Edward turned to me.

"Hold on just a second," he said, as he ran off to catch Emmett, while bending down to pick up some snow as he ran. He mad a snowball and threw it towards Emmett, but accidently hit Alice on the back.

"Oh, hell, no," she squealed, making a snowball of her own and accidently hitting Rose. Rose screamed with delight.

"It's on, bitch!" she screamed, throwing her ball and actually hitting Alice, being the first one to actually make their intended target. Oh, no. I looked over just in time to see Jasper have a snowball in his hand. I turned around and started to run as he threw it at me and hit me in the back. I chased Jasper around the yard, throwing snow at him and then Emmett came after me, but not with snow. He just picked me up off the ground like I had been a throw pillow on a floor. I giggled and kicked and he finally dropped me. The snowball war continued until finally, we were too tired to run.

We lie in the snow, just thinking for a little while. We stared up at the big, gray sky. I held Edward's hand, as well as Rose's, Rose holding Emmett's, Emmett's holding Alice's, and Alice's holding Jasper's. We sometimes talked, but normally didn't. It was just good to know that we were all together again. I felt whole for once. It didn't last long. It was already two in the afternoon, and we all needed to get to our own homes. We hugged each other and wandered out to our cars. Edward walked me to the truck.

"You still like Linkin Park, right?" he asked as we reached the thing.

"Of course, always, why?"

"Nothing," he said. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. "I'll call you later, is that okay?"

"Yes. Edward?"

"What is it, love?"

"Well, I want you to meet my parents." I suggested it because I knew that if we were doing this, he would want to do it the old fashioned way. He would have suggested eventually, anyway.

"Of course I will! Don't worry about it," he said, kissing my head again. I smiled and he did too. "When?"

"How about tomorrow?" I asked. Both of my parents would be home, so it shouldn't be a problem.

"Sounds perfect. Bella, would you meet my parents as well?" Well, it _was_ only fair.

"I'm going to have to sometime, so sure." I sighed.

"I'll get back to you with the day and time, okay?"

"Sure." He hugged me and ran off to his Volvo. I let him drive off first, and I followed. The roads weren't too icy. Most of the snow had decided to stay on the grass. I pulled up my familiar driveway and went inside the house. My mom was attempting to make dinner and my dad was on the couch, watching the game. It was New Year's Day, after all.

"Hey, sweetie, how was it?" my mom questioned.

"Fine. This morning we got in a big snowball fight." She laughed.

"Who was there, again?"

"Oh, it was just me, Alice, the Hale twins, you know, Rosalie and Jasper, Emmett McCarty, and Edward Masen."

"Oh, Edward was there? That's nice. I remember how you used to talk about him all the time."

"Mom, I did not," I said, blushing. She shrugged. I had to tell her something. I had better tell her first so she could help me break it to Charlie gently. "Mom, umm, last night, Edward actually sort of asked me out." I waited for the reaction.

"Bella!" she exclaimed, "Really? That's so good! You did say yes, right?"

"Yes," I answered, smiling.

"And I'm guessing you wanted me to help tell your dad, right?" she asked waving her arm towards where Charlie was. I nodded. "Let's get this over with," she said. I grabbed her arm.

"Another thing: he's coming over tomorrow for dinner with you, is that okay?" She hugged me.

"Oh, yes! For now, let's just focus on telling your father." We walked in. Luckily, it was halftime, so we had time to talk. I cleared my throat. I was nervous, but not nearly as nervous as I had been last night with Edward. I could do this...

"Dad?" He grunted. He was still watching the commentators on the television give their analyzation of the game. I turned it off. Now, I had his attention. "Last night, I got... asked out by Edward Masen. Now, before you freak out, Mom said it was okay if I went out on a date with him and if he came over tomorrow for supper." Mom nodded. Dad looked like he was spacing out.

"Huh?"

"Dad, I'm going to go on a date with Edward. And he's coming over tomorrow." My mom was holding his hand, which I guess was what kept him calm. He nodded.

"Okay. If your mother says it's okay," he said, throwing her a glance, "then I guess it's okay." I wasn't about to argue with him. I said thanks and went upstairs to tell Edward what would be happening. He agreed to be there early and I would cook lasagna.

I went to the kitchen around 3:30. I began to get the ingredients together and I threw it in the oven while I took a shower and my mom agreed to watch it and make sure it didn't burn. While in the shower, I calmed myself the best I could. I wore an ivory turtleneck and my best pair of jeans. I tied my hair up into a pony tail on top of my head and added a little makeup. I went to take the lasagna out of the oven when I heard the doorbell ring. I practically ran to answer it.

Edward was standing there in his magnificence. He was wearing an ivory turtleneck as well, with jeans. He smiled as he saw we matched. He kissed both my cheeks before I let him in the house. We walked into the living room holding hands. There was no more denying that we were together, so we needed to act like a normal couple. My dad had actually gotten out of sweats and dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt. My mom was wearing a black sweater with a pair of white pants. She walked over and hugged Edward.

"Oh, I've been dying to meet you! I'm so glad that Bella finally got a boyfriend!" I cringed at my mother's exclamation. Edward just smiled at me. Then Dad came over and stuck out his hand. Edward shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you," my dad said gruffly.

"Nice to meet you, too, sir." Edward was such a gentleman. I beamed. We went into the kitchen and started to eat. The conversations went nicely and it wasn't awkward. It was actually something sort of... nice. Afterwards, my mom and I went to do dishes while Edward and Dad watched the game.

"Bella, he's just so nice! I love him already!"

"Thanks, Mom. I'm glad you approve," I said as I smiled. I was so glad that I had found someone who cared about me and that my parents (well, at least my mom) approved of. We talked a little more about the evening as we finished up and joined the men.

The rest of the evening flew by. Before I knew it, it was nine. Edward rose.

"Well, thank you all so much for having me over, but it's about time I got home," he said politely. I rose with him and my mother hugged him as she had before, the same with the handshake from my dad. I walked him to the door.

"I'll call you tomorrow, I promise," he said. "I was thinking: what about February 25th? Are you available that day?" he asked me.

"As far as I know. Why?"

"Because that's when our first date is going to be."

"So far away?" I grumbled.

"Time flies when you're having fun, Bells," he said. He kissed my cheek softly before walking out the door, getting into his car, and driving swiftly out of my sight.

_A/N: In case you haven't noticed, I raised the rating to _T_ because of the whole "in my pants" game. I know, I know, it's for little kids, but I still get a kick out of it sometime. I hope you enjoyed this! Please review and take the poll on my profile, or just go to my profile, because I would love it! Thank you again to all who read this and put up with me!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N:Yeah, I know, the story is a little rushed, but I'm not worried about that at the moment. It sort of rushed and then slowed down a lot, and I was planning on addressing that in this chapter, so here you go and VISIT MY POLL ON MY PROFILE, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE... after you read this._

The next Monday, we were back in school. I woke up bright and early, got dressed and went downstairs. I had just finished my granola bar, when I heard a car pull up in my driveway. I went to go look out my window and found a shiny silver Volvo right outside my doorstep. I ran out the door with everything and threw myself into the passenger seat before Edward could even get out of the car. I kissed him on the cheek and strapped in as we started to pull out of the driveway, Edward holding my hand.

When we arrived, everyone stared. I didn't get it... well, okay, I did get it, I just didn't want to admit it. It was like I could read their thoughts as plainly as if they had written them across their foreheads. _What is he doing with her?_ And it was perfectly okay if people were thinking that (which they were). I didn't understand it either.

At lunch, Edward sat next to me, of course, and promised me that he would sit with me every day until I no longer wanted him to. The day had gone perfectly well (except for the staring students) up until now. Mike Newton.

Mike walked up and grabbed a chair from another table and pulled it up right behind where Edward and I were holding hands. We both turned around to see him sitting backwards in the chair, looking smugly at us. He turned to Edward.

"So, training starts today for track and I was just thinking about how it's gonna go, I mean..." He continued to talk, but I tuned him out. I didn't really care, and surprisingly, Edward didn't either. "So, what about it?" Mike asked as I tuned my ears back into the conversation.

"Actually, Mike, I don't think I'm going to do track this year," said Edward. My eyes bulged and my mouth was wide open. My expression was identical with Mike's.

"W-wh-what?" Mike stuttered. "You- You're the best we've ever had at sprints. No. No, you HAVE to be on the team," Mike said angrily.

"No, Mike, I really don't. I have my priorities, and it's not like I'm giving up cross country. That's what I'm not so good at, so I'm gonna work on improving that. Everyone knows I can sprint," Edward said smugly, his crooked grin spreading across his god-like face, "but I want to work on improving my cross country times." Mike then glanced at me. Again, it was like I could read minds. His was definitely saying _"It's because of her, right?" _but he knew better than to say it out loud. Silently, I wondered the same thing. It couldn't possibly be because of me.

"Well, then I guess there isn't nothing to talk about," Mike said as he turned to walk away. And then, it was like we were twelve again.

"Don't you mean 'isn't anything,' Mike?" Edward asked innocently as Mike turned red and rushed away. After he was out of earshot, we all cracked up. That's when I turned to Edward. I looked him straight in the eyes (which were no longer covered by his glasses) as I began to speak.

"Is that because of me?"

"What?" he said in confusion.

"Am I the reason you aren't doing track this season?" He laughed.

"No. Well, actually, yes. Being around you again made me remember how much of a jerk Mike is. Ugh." I smiled.

"I told you so." The bell then rang and we walked to the next class together, avoiding the all the glances that came our way.

The next month was amazing. Though we had never really kissed, I really had no desire to. I was perfectly content to walk along and hold his hand, talk about anything and everything, and enjoy just having him next to me. We had declared ourselves very quickly, but that made it better, in my opinion. We both knew that the other cared deeply about us and it made our trust so much stronger. We had both put our hearts out there, naked, for the other to see, and that's about as intimate as you can really get.

I had asked him before where we would go from there. I didn't know at the time. But each day, I just fell more and more in love with him. I don't even know why. It just happened. We still teased each other, yes, but it was always in fun.

After that first day, no one else stared anymore. Edward picked me up for school every morning and dropped me off every night. My dad had started trusting Edward more and my mom definitely trusted him. Things were really looking up for me.

"Edward, what are we doing for our date?" I asked one morning while we were driving to school. It was the middle of February, and I still had no idea what we were going to do.

"Oh, I can't tell you for a little while," he answered.

"Come on," I whined.

"No."

"Just one hint, please?" I asked as my mouth pulled into a pout. He decided to try and change the subject.

"Bella, do you know what today is?" he asked.

"Tuesday," I said confused.

"Date?" I paused. Oh, crap.

"Oh, gosh, I forgot!" It was Valentine's Day. "Sorry. Happy Valentine's Day?" He just smiled.

"I knew you'd forget. That's why I didn't," he said as we pulled into school. He pulled in our regular parking spot and reached into the backseat. He pulled out a heart-shaped box of chocolate.

"Edward, you really didn't-"

"Don't you dare say I didn't have to," he warned.

"But now I feel bad that I didn't get you anything," I said.

"I knew you would, that's why I have a favor to ask," he said. I knew I wouldn't be able to refuse him, no matter what it was. I said nothing. "Would you come over to dinner with my parents tonight?" he asked.

"Of course. It would only be fair." I began mentally preparing right that second. Edward would be picking me up around six, so I could have time to shower and get ready. That was good. That meant that I would be able to get there safely without driving into a tree because my nerves were making me shake so badly.

After I got home, I put on a black dress. Not to fancy, but not too casual. I wanted to look nice for Edward's parents, but more importantly, I wanted to look nice for Edward. It was Valentine's Day, after all, and I had forgotten to get him anything. I was calming myself back down when he came to my door. We were silent the entire way to his house. I realized at that moment that I had never been to his house. Sure, I knew where it was, but I'd never been in. We pulled off the road onto a long path back into the woods. There was a break in the trees ahead, and I saw a huge mansion-like house. I knew my jaw dropped and I gasped. His house was huge and beautiful. I gathered expression back to normal as he came to open my door and lead me into the house.

I walked in and could automatically smell chicken baking. It smelled delicious. Edward helped me take my coat off like I'd only seen men do in old movies. I heard him take a breath.

"Bella- you look beautiful." I knew I blushed.

"Thank you." He kissed my cheek just before a woman walked in, I could only guess would be his mother. She was lovely with caramel colored hair and light brown eyes. She walked up to Edward and me. She embraced me lightly around the waist.

"Oh, Bella, you look lovely! I'm Esme, Edward's mother. It's so very very nice to meet you, darling. You're always welcome here, I want you to know," she said, smiling the entire time. She was so nice and beautiful. I looked up as a handsome man walked into the room. He was very blonde with blue eyes. He was lovely as well.

"Welcome, Bella," he said, hugging me. I usually wasn't much of a hugger, but Edward's parents made me feel so very welcome that I couldn't help but to love them.

"Well, come to the dining room, Bella, the food is ready," Esme said, leading me into the dining room. It had a huge table that could easily fit twelve people around it. Carlisle sat at the head of the table, while Esme sat on his left, Edward at his right. I sat right next to Edward. We ate and chatted. I noticed that they were all much more interesting than my parents. After dinner, I wanted to help Esme clean up, but she wouldn't have it.

"You're a guest, darling. No, you go with Edward." I followed Edward out of the room. He started to give me the tour of his house. It was huge! There were so many rooms... so many rooms filled with books, almost as well-stocked as a library. Finally, we reached the third floor. Edward said the room at the end of the hall was his, but we couldn't go in.

"You can't go in yet. There's something I have to do first." He led me down to another room in that hallway. He opened the door slowly to reveal a gigantic black piano. He led me to the bench and made me sit next to him. He started to play a beautiful, heartfelt piece. It didn't sound familiar to me. As the song ended, I noticed I had tears in my eyes. It was just so perfect.

"I wrote that for you, you know," he said. "Happy Valentine's Day, love." I smiled through my tears. He held me close and rocked me. I never wanted to move, but he had to take me to his room. We walked in and he handed me a bouquet of deep red roses. The smelled amazing and they were beautiful.

"They're lovely," I said, amazed. I wanted to object, but I knew it would hurt his feelings if I did.

"Just like you," he said. He reached into his drawer beside his bed and produced a long, rectangular, black, velvet box. I laid the roses aside to take the box. I opened it and a beautiful silver bracelet sat inside. It had a locket-like charm on it in the shape of a heart. "Open it," he said. I did. The inscription inside said, "I love you" on one side and "Forever" on the other. Again, tears came to my eyes. I was so touched.

"Thank you, Edward. This is perfect." I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"So, you like it?"

"No. I love it! Help me put it on, please." He did. He undid the clasp and placed it ever so gently on my wrist and fastened it back. He continued to hold my hand. He leaned his face towards mine. His lips met mine, gently and softly. This was not like our first "kiss." It lasted longer, but was just as chaste. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me, my fingers running through his hair. After a moment, we stopped and just looked in each other's eyes. I smiled, and he smiled his crooked smile. We held hands as he helped me get the roses to the Volvo and drove me home. He kissed me once more on my doorstep, but not for as long as our previous kiss, but enough to get my heart racing. I took my roses upstairs and sat them next to my bed and dreamed that night of Edward once more.

_A/N: That's definitely not what I meant to write. Originally, they weren't supposed to kiss until the first date, but that seemed appropriate. And they weren't supposed to go to his house yet. But I think this worked. Please review and VOTE IN MY POLL, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!! Thank you so much, as always, for putting up with me and reading._


	13. Author's Note

_A/N: Hey, I'm really sorry I haven't updated, but I have been busy and I have a life, haha... not really. I have just been going out with some friends and so I am going to try to have another chapter tomorrow, if not, then Monday. Please review and don't forget to visit my profile and take my poll. I just want to say thank you to all the readers I have so far and thank the people that have actually taken my poll. I love you guys, you're awesome!_


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner. I was just tired. I counted how many pages I have written in the past ten or eleven days, and it is about 47, so I decided to give myself a break. This story is my baby, and I work really hard on it. My teacher decided she wanted to submit my short story into some contest so I can win money and a lot of people have liked it, and if you want to read it, just PM me, and I'll send it to you. Here you go..._

February 25th quickly approached. I was so excited to think that we were going to go on a real date, at last. It felt good to know that we were going to do what normal couples did and finally go on an official "date."

"Where are we going?" I asked Edward for what had to have been the hundredth time in the past week. We were standing outside of the biology classroom. Edward was off to Spanish, I was off to gym. I was trying to get a few minutes with Edward as well as procrastinate going to that hell-hole. Edward sighed.

"I suppose it is about time I let you know, since we're going tomorrow," he said. "I'll tell you on the way home today." We were nearly to the gym. Damn it...

"Okay. Thank you." We were now right outside the doors. I gave him a quick hug around the waist. We didn't kiss much, and never in public. The most we did in public was a quick hug. We both frowned upon public displays of affection. It made your love look distorted and fake when you did that, like you wanted to let everyone know you were getting some. It was disgusting.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear, giving me chills. I hadn't taken the bracelet Edward had given me off since Valentine's Day. It was always my reminder of his love (like I could forget it).

"I love you, too." I held him tighter for a moment and then released him. I walked into gym. I heard someone following behind me, but I ignored it, figuring it was one of the girls in my class headed into the locker room to change. Out of nowhere, a basketball flew in front of my feet and I tripped over it, sending the person who was hot on my tail crashing into me. It was Mike.

"Oh, sorry, Bella," he said sarcastically. I gathered myself and started heading to the locker room. He grabbed my arm and pulled me around to face him. "So you and Masen, huh?" he asked. "I don't like it."

"I never said you had to, Mike." I pulled myself away and rushed into the locker room. Ugh, I hated Mike. With a passion. Really, what did I ever do to him?

Gym drug on, making the forty-five minute class seem like two hours. I was anxious, for one, but I was also pretty pissed off at Newton. I couldn't forget what he had said to me. There was definitely something up there... I just couldn't figure out what. I tried to push it from my mind as I climbed into the car.

"Tell me, please!" I squealed as he pulled out.

"Calm down, Bells," he said. "Okay. I hope you like it," he said, reaching into his glove box and producing two rectangular shaped pieces of paper. He handed them to me and I read the small print, trying to decipher the information.

"OH, MY GOSH! LINKIN PARK! SEATTLE? FRONT ROW?! NO WAY!!!!" I screamed. I was completely flipping out. This was possibly going to be the best first date ever in the history of the universe. Linkin Park? Honestly! It was going to be amazing! I leaned over and kissed his cheek wetly, but he didn't bother wiping it off. He was grinning like an idiot, but still looked beautiful. "Thank you so much, Edward!"

"So, I take it that you like it?" he asked.

"Of course! How could I not?!" I beamed at him. I was already figuring out what I was going to wear and what it was going to be like. We arrived at my house and he got out and came in. We watched television until my parents got home from work, then he said he had to go home. He kissed my lips for a moment before heading out the door and promising to pick me up at three the next afternoon.

I could hardly sleep. The anticipation was killing me slowly. I couldn't think about anything but my first official date. With Edward. And Linkin Park would just happen to be less than fifty feet from me. It was going to be perfect.

Edward picked me up right at three the next day. On the way there, I talked a lot because I had had lots of caffeine, and I was nervous. Edward just laughed at my ridiculousness. We stopped to eat in that same Italian restaurant we had eaten at when he saved me in Port Angeles.

We arrived early in Seattle and got up front and waited. What can I say? It was amazing. My first concert, my first date, my first love. The entire time, the sound of the bass was flowing through my body. I could feel the vibrations from the loud sound of the guitars, the drums, the screaming fans. I could see the band in perfect clarity. And through all of this, Edward's arm was wrapped around my waist.

"Okay, best song performed tonight: 'What I've Done'," I said when we had gotten out and walked to the car. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face or off of my heart. I was so happy, completely euphoric.

"No, no, no, 'Leave Out All the Rest' was the best song," he argued.

"Whatever," I said. I was on such a high right then. It had been extraordinary to be there with Edward that night.

We reached my house. My parents had decided to go out on another date (what was with that lately? I didn't get it), so we had the house to ourselves. We sat on the couch, just wrapped in each others arms. We were really boring. Honestly, all we did was watch television and talk. But through that, we got to know each other better.

It had begun to rain very hard after the concert. It was expected, since the day had been sunny. The sun could only last so long. All of the sudden, I heard a click and the power had gone out.

"Ugh," I groaned as I removed myself from Edward's arms to go find some candles to light. I lit them and then went back to my place next to Edward. He just looked at my face. Looking into my eyes. When he did that, it reminded me of what Alice and Jasper often did. Then, he began to stroke my face. His thin fingers began to trace every part of my face, and I did the same with him. He leaned his face to mine and kissed me. It was not as chaste as our other kisses had been.

We just kissed. That was it, for about five minutes. It was embarrassing to think that I was making out with someone. It just didn't seem right. After we were done, we were both smiling and breathless, sitting in the dim candlelight. Edward then leaned back onto the couch and I lay my head across his chest, my body practically on top of his. And that's how I fell asleep.

I woke up in the morning in my bed, still in my clothes from last night. There was a note on my desk next to my bed, written in Edward's beautiful handwriting.

_"Bella,_

_Your parents came home and I decided to put you in bed. I didn't want to have to explain things to them. Sorry that I didn't get a chance to say 'Goodnight.' I love you._

_Edward"_

Awww... he carried me to bed? He was so sweet. I smiled that entire day. I had a boyfriend that loved me and cared. He would go to the ends of the earth for me, and I could tell. I was completely happy with my life and I was completely prepared to love Edward for as long as fate would allow...

_A/N: Linkin Park=awesome. That's why they are the band I picked for Edward and Bella to like. Plus, on Stephenie's playlist, Linkin Park is featured on there, and Edward and Bella both listen to it in _Twilight._ February 25th? Well, a story for another time. Don't forget about the poll, please, and if you want to read my little short story, PM me. Thank you for reading! I know, it's a lot of fluff, but I hope you enjoyed it! Only about 3 more chapters left... :'(._


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: I'm trying to prolong this, but it doesn't seem to be working. Plus, a big winter storm is headed my way, and I might not get to update for a while if the power goes out. _

I woke up Monday morning and could tell it was too early to be getting up. I felt a pang in the pit of my stomach and rushed to the bathroom. After losing my guts, I quietly went back to bed. I didn't feel good at all, but I needed to go to school. My parents were up and off to work before I got out of bed, so they wouldn't be able to fuss over me. I wouldn't have let them anyway. I got up and attempted to get dressed, but didn't get far. I had pulled on a button up shirt and didn't even bother doing the buttons. I was still in my pajama bottoms and slippers. I had brushed my teeth and combed my hair, but still felt horrible. I threw myself onto the couch when I heard a knock at the door. I knew it was Edward, but I didn't have enough energy to go tell him to go away. I had my eyes shut and I just lie there on my back.

The door opened as Edward let himself in. He walked into the living room and rushed to my side. He was frantically whispering in my ear.

"Bella, love, what's wrong?" I opened my eyes up enough to see the concern on his face. "Bella, what can I do for you?" I groaned. He was too perfect and I wanted him here with me always. But it was not worth him seeing me puking my guts out.

"Go away, Edward. I'm sick. Just go without me, I'll be fine," I mumbled.

"On the contrary, I don't believe you will. No, I'm going to stay right here until you are all better." He grinned.

"No, honestly, just go. I don't want you to get in trouble for ditching."

"Ditching is healthy every once in a while. I'm sure my good grades will be there when I return," he said, still smiling. "Plus, this is practice for the future. I'm going to be taking care of tons of girls like you for the rest of my life," he paused, "but you'll always be my favorite." That made me smile a little bit. "Right now, you need some sleep, though, love... and you might want to button up your shirt." Even though I was pale and sick, I knew I was blushing crimson right then. I reached down and started buttoning them up, but it just wasn't working. He pushed my hands away and began to work his way down my shirt, doing up the buttons, which only made me blush more.

"Sorry," I said.

"No, it's not that... I mean, I am a man, but I was just looking out for _your_ best interests. I know you. If I just let you walk around like that all day without knowing, you'd hate me," he laughed. I was glad that I didn't completely repulse him right that second. I then curled up on the other end of the couch and drifted into slumber.

I woke up to the smell of chicken noodle soup being made in the kitchen. It was out of the can, yes, but it was still good. I sat up and looked at the clock. It was nearly one in the afternoon. Edward then walked in with a tray carrying soup, a glass of water, and some crackers and laid it on the coffee table in front of me. I was feeling much, much better. He looked down and me and smiled.

"You look so much better, beautiful," he said as he bent down to kiss the top of my head. "I made this for you. You'll want to drink tons of water to help keep you hydrated, and chicken noodle soup always helps." I carefully ate all the soup and drank my water like a good patient and laid back down on the couch, wrapped up in a big blanket. My feet were sprawled across Edward's lap.

I cat-napped the rest of the afternoon. Whenever I would wake up, Edward would be right there, asking me how I felt, taking care of me. It felt so good to know that he cared about me that much. By the end of the day, I was feeling almost one hundred percent better. He left when my parents got home and said he would see me in the morning, kissed my hair, and left.

I woke the next morning ready to conquer the world. I went to school with Edward and went through everything as normal. We were in the car on the way home, when a sudden thought popped into my head.

"Light homework tonight, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm so glad. The less homework I have, the more time I can spend with the love of my life." I blushed again.

"So spending time with me? Well, would you be against going out on another "date" with me?" He laughed.

"Of course not! When?"

"... Right now...?" I said it almost like a question.

"Where would you like to go?"

"Port Angeles. I need to do something." Something I knew I had to do eventually.

"Sure. I just have to call my parents and say not to expect me home for a little while." He pulled out his silver phone and dialed a number.

"Yes, Could I speak to Dr. Carlisle Masen, please?" He paused. "It's his son, Edward." Another pause. "Hey, Dad, I was wondering if it would be okay if Bella and I went to Port Angeles for a while... okay, yeah, I'll be home by nine... sure... I love you, too, Dad... Bye." He hung up. "Do you need to call Charlie and Renee?" he asked me.

"I guess," I said, taking the phone from him. I dialed the home phone. I knew that neither of them would be home, so I left a message. "Hey, it's Bella, I'm going with Edward to Port Angeles, so I should be back before nine. Love you guys, bye!" I said. I was so excited all the way to Port Angeles. I held Edward's hand and just watched him. He never really was focused as he drove, I noticed. He was an excellent driver, though. He just leaned back and let the car take control.

We reached Port Angeles at about 3:30 in the afternoon. It was raining fairly hard, but it wasn't like I wasn't used to it. We were right in front of the bookstore. Edward was smiling.

"How-"

"I know you, Bella. You sometimes forget these things, love," he chuckled and opened the door for me. Janet was sitting behind the counter reading a book with both of her legs propped up when we walked in. I immediately grabbed Edward's hand and walked towards her slowly. She looked up, saw who we were, and noticed our hands tangled together. A smile formed on her wrinkly face and her eyes began sparkling.

"Oh, there's my two favorite customers," she said, smiling. "Is there anything I can help you with? If I may be so bold, I think I helped Bella here a lot the last time she was here." I blushed crimson. Edward leant down and kissed my cheek.

"I'm pretty sure you did, Janet," he said. She continued to smile.

"Glad I could help. I knew from the moment I saw you two together that there was something there. You just needed to see it for yourselves," she stopped for a moment and sighed. "Do you need help with anything in particular today, dears?"

"No, thank you. I'm going to go look for something really quick." This was Edward's subtle way of leaving us to have a little girl-talk, even if one girl was in her seventies.

"I told you so," she said, winking.

"I know you did. I can't thank you enough. As it turned out, he liked me too, and then we just started going out. It was so easy. I just took your advice and put myself out there. Honestly, I think you changed my life," I admitted breathlessly.

"Oh, I don't know if I did all of _that, _but I'm glad I could be of service. You know," she began, "I was actually wondering... I am looking to hire someone to help me. My storage room is a mess, and I was thinking about getting someone to help me clean it and then keep it organized this time. How about it, Bella? I would love to have you work for me. You would basically get to pick your hours, come in whenever, and get books at about 70% off." My heart was in the pit of my stomach. I was completely happy. I uncharacteristically squealed.

"OH JANET!!!! OF COURSE!!!!!" I reached over the desk and pulled her into a hug.

"And of course, that young man is most welcome to join you as well," she said.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH! EDWARD!" I screamed, as he came running.

"What?" he asked frantically.

"Janet just offered us jobs here! Isn't it wonderful!?"

"Seriously?" he asked enthusiastically. "Really? That's amazing!" he exclaimed as he turned to Janet. She explained it all to him and we both agreed that this would be a good thing for the both of us to do. The pay was reasonable and picking our own hours would be amazing. We would start next Saturday. We waved goodbye to Janet as we left the store, our arms wrapped around each others waists as we walked out into the falling rain.

_A/N: Okay, so two more chapters, maybe three. I keep telling you this, but it keeps getting longer. Not the best chapter I've written, in my opinion. Thank you for reading and don't forget my poll and reviewing!_


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: There's a fairly significant amount of snow on the ground right now, but I don't think I'll get out of school tomorrow (regrettably). So, I decided to write this chapter. It's what my little brother has been looking forward to since I told him I was going to write this story..._

I was enjoying being with Edward always. I could never get enough of him. I loved his brilliant mind, his beautiful face, his loving heart. I could find nothing wrong with him. Everyone at school could tell how in love we were. That's why Alice decided to make an announcement Friday at lunch.

"Girls: I have something to say," she said, immediately getting the attention of Rose and I. "Now, we all have our boyfriends, but lately, I just haven't been feeling the girly bonds that we have. And the quickest way to fix that is-"

"MOVIE NIGHT!" Rose screamed. Everyone within a fifteen foot radius jumped a little. "Sorry, I've just wanted a movie night really bad with you girls lately."

"Well, I was going to say 'shopping', but Rosalie's idea works as good as any." We made plans to meet at Alice's after school. I turned to Edward and couldn't look him in the eye.

"So... you're okay with this, right?" I stopped. "I mean, you don't have a problem with me being away from you for a little while?" He laughed at me and ruffled my hair.

"Bella, I'm not a dictator. I'm your boyfriend. Honestly, you can be so absurd sometimes. Why would I have a problem with you hanging out with your girlfriends every once in a while?" He smiled, and I blushed. I kissed him quickly. It was the first time I'd ever done that in public. He squeezed my hand harder as we walked to biology.

"Oh, about tomorrow, Edward," I said in the car on the way home, "I think I'll just drive up to Port Angeles by myself and meet you there. What time are we supposed to get there?"

"One. It's not a big deal." We were sitting in front of my house now. I really didn't want to leave him, but I had to. I looked at my hands and then looked into his brilliant green eyes. They sparkled always, but just a hint more when he looked at me. I took pride in that fact. He leaned down and kissed me passionately, long enough to get my heart racing. I pecked him one more time after we broke away. Then, he leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"I love you," he said. "More than my own life."

"I love you, too," I replied. I hugged him before stepping out of the Volvo. I went inside the house and sighed. I went to go pick out my clothes for the sleepover and my clothes for work tomorrow. I packed them and hurried over to Alice's. I walked in and looked at her kitchen counter. Every beauty product imaginable was sitting there, in every color of the rainbow. I groaned.

"Alice, we're not Barbies," I said, glaring at her.

"I know, but you need this, trust me," she said. "Honestly, I don't see why you don't want to look your best for Edward."

"I don't try because he doesn't care what I look like. He loves me anyway." That felt good to admit.

"Hmph," she sighed. Rosalie walked out of the living room.

"Hey Bells," she said, eying me and the make-up.

"No, not you too!"

"Bella, we have to make you feel miserable at least once tonight by making you seem like a real girl!"

"Whatever."

The night went on. I was poked and prodded with different things for my face, hair, nails, hands, and feet all night long while trying to watch a movie. It was a romantic comedy that was very good, but not really heard of. It was fairly decent. It didn't have much romance in it, and most of it was comedy. I found myself getting teary eyed at the end when the guy made his declaration of love to the girl he'd wanted to be with since they were kids. It sort of reminded me of my relationship with Edward. Rose and Alice just called me a baby and told me not to cry all over my new makeup.

Of course, no girly get-together is complete without truth or dare, so we did that for a while. I always picked truth, and Rose and Alice knew exactly which buttons to hit to make me blush.

"How do you feel when Edward kisses you?" Alice asked.

"Ew, Alice!" I said, blushing, "He's your cousin!"

"So? You're avoiding the question," she answered.

"Fine. Well... I feel like... everything is perfect and he was made for me... and he makes my toes curl and I can't breathe."

"Bella, I read in a magazine that if you can't breathe then you aren't doing it right," Rose said. "So, do you-"

"Hey, no, it's my turn. Rose- truth or dare?" Naturally she and Alice both chose dare until it was back to me again. It was Rose's turn to ask me.

"Bella- truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Gosh, you are so boring!" I glared at her. "Okay, okay- do you want to have Edward's babies?" Of course, that thought made me blush.

"... Uhh... w-w-welll, umm, ee-eventualllly," I admitted.

"Hah, you owe me ten bucks, Rose, pay up!" Alice said. Rose groaned.

"What? You guys made a bet on this? That's gross..." They just laughed at me. We played until we went to sleep.

I woke up late in the morning. It was almost noon. Crap.

"Hey, guys, I have to go, it's my first day of work," I shouted to them from the living room. They were in the kitchen cleaning up from last night. "Sorry," I apologized.

"Oh, no, it was worth it," Rosalie said, putting some of the cosmetics in a bag. "That blush on your face was priceless... and speaking of priceless, thanks for making me lose ten bucks, Bella," she said sarcastically.

"You're welcome, I really have to go and I don't want to be late." I rushed over to them and kissed them both on the cheeks. I rushed out the door and flew down the road to Port Angeles. Of course, when I pulled up to the store, Edward was already there... early.

I walked in and kissed him quickly. "Hey, gorgeous," I said.

"Hey, beautiful," he said, kissing me again. Just then, Janet walked out from the storage room. We quickly untangled ourselves from one another and Janet just chuckled. We went to learn how everything was supposed to be kept and worked diligently all day. Edward would sneak over to kiss me every once in a while, but Janet didn't notice, or if she did, she didn't care.

After work, we decided to go out to eat. We went to the Italian place again and Edward paid. I knew that he liked paying for me, but I just felt like a moocher. Honestly, I didn't want to take money from him, especially since he had given me his heart.

"So, what'd you do yesterday?" I asked.

"Well, nothing. Oh, well, Mike called me, but I made up some lame excuse. I had some 'homework' to do. He seemed pretty ticked, but I don't care. He's a jerk," he admitted.

"Finally, five years later," I said. "I'm really glad you aren't hanging around him as much. He's not a good person. I've tried to like him for forever. I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did without realizing it."

"You bring out the best in me, Bella."

After supper, we walked back to our cars. It was fairly late, and the lights were off in the store. He was parked in front of me, so I let him go first. I told him to go on without me because he had given me the cell phone. I sat in my truck and let it warm up. The streets were dark and deserted. I decided I wanted a candy bar before going home, so I got out for a second to buy one. I leaned down to pick it up and when I came up, I could sense someone behind me. I turned around slowly to see Mike Newton's eyes staring into mine with disdain.

"Oh, Mike, you scared me," I said, walking to my truck. He followed. "So, what are you doing in Port Angeles?" I asked.

"I heard from Edward that you two had gotten some jobs," he said. I was almost to the truck when Mike grabbed the top of my arm, squeezing it hard.

"Ow, Mike, let go," I said, attempting to pull my arm away from his tight grip.

"You know what? All I wanted was to have the best running teams in the state, but you had to go screw that up for me," he spat at me.

"Mike, what are you talking about?"

"You're the reason Edward won't do track anymore."

"If you would listen to him, no I'm NOT!" I screamed, trying once more to pull away. He wouldn't let go. "LET GO!" I screamed. He wasn't letting up, so I decided now was the time to use violence. I took my free arm and slapped him, letting my nails rake across his face. He let go for a second and I should have ran. But I couldn't.

"BITCH!" he yelled as his fist connected with my jaw. Blood was running from the corner of my mouth and I was on the ground. I tried to crawl away, but it was no use. He reached down and grabbed my ankle. He was strong enough that he could pull me back to him that way. I tried to scramble away, but I just couldn't.

Mike pulled me up in his arms. They were not like Edward's arms. They were not warm and soft and secure. They were cold and hard and dangerous. I kicked as hard as I could at him. He dropped me and I attempted to get up. I did, but he just pushed me backwards- straight into the window of the store. My palms were bloody, as was my scalp. I was screaming at him as he started kicking me as I was lying on the floor. I didn't think I could hold on any longer. And that's when everything went black.

_A/N: Bwah ha ha... cliffhanger. Only two more chapters. Thank you as always, and I keep forgetting to say thank you to the people who voted in my poll. You guys rock. After I finish this story, I'm going to have a poll on my profile and I want you guys to tell me what you would like me to do next. Thanks so much, I freaking love you guys!_


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: So I was writing this chapter and I had just finished my last line, and guess what happens? My power goes out! So this is the rewrite, and I know it won't be as good as the original. Sorry._

I couldn't remember much after that. Lights. Headlights. A silver car. Edward, my angel. Edward coming in and pulling Mike away from me. Screaming. Sirens. Red and blue lights. Beeping.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

I could hear the machines that were monitoring my heart. I couldn't open my eyes. I was still too tired. I was awake, but I didn't want to move. Yet, there was something there, a presence that told me I had to. My eyes fluttered open and took a moment to focus. The first things I could see clearly were a pair of green eyes. And just below them were dark circles.

"Edward," I croaked.

"Bella," he said. "I am so sorry," he said, his eyes rimmed with tears.

"No, Edward, nothing is your fault at all, shhhh," I murmured. He was holding my hand and then buried his face in my stomach. I took my free hand and ran my fingers through his messy bronze hair. His body shook a little from the sobbing. He was crying away his sadness, his pain. He was also crying in relief. He finally looked up at me. "Come here," I said.

He leaned in close to me. His lips brushed my lips lightly. The beeps came faster and faster on the monitor. Finally, he broke away. I was breathing hard, and he was as well. He kissed my forehead.

"Bella, I love you. More than anything in this world. I am so-"

"Do not say the word 'sorry'. None of what happened was your fault."

"Do you even know what happened?" he asked quietly.

I struggled to remember what had happened. It all seemed so long ago. "I remember I wanted something... a candy bar. I walked over to the vending machine. I picked it up, and Mike was there. He was talking to me about how I was the reason you weren't doing track and I told him that I wasn't. He grabbed my arm and wouldn't let go, so I slapped him. Then..." I paused, trying to remember, but also trying to see if Edward could handle it. "I... he picked me up and I kicked. He let me down and pushed me through the window. He was kicking me and I blacked out." Edward sat there, staring at our hands. I knew this was difficult for him. "What else happened?" I asked quietly.

"I forgot my jacket. I had just gotten out of town when I realized that. I decided to go ahead and drive back to get it. I was a little worried when I didn't pass you on the road. I drove up just in time to see you go through the window-" his voice broke. He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his emotions. "Then, I ran in there and kicked the sh- crap out of that scumbag," he said, his voice no longer sad, just angry. "Janet heard and called the police. They rushed you here in the ambulance, arrested Mike, and sent him in to have psychiatric evaluations. As it turns out, he'll be spending quite some time in a cell with padded walls and a straightjacket." He finished.

"So, how bad am I?" I asked hesitantly.

"Broke your leg falling onto it after he pushed you through the window. You needed stitches on your scalp. He cracked three ribs when he was kicking you. You're bruised everywhere. They removed the glass from your hands and bandaged them up," his voice was cracking and his eyes were filling up with tears again. It broke my heart. My eyes began to fill up as well. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head.

"Where are my mom and dad?" I asked urgently.

"They went to get some food."

"What day is it?"

"Wednesday."

"Wednesday? Wow," I said in amazement.

"Yes. I was just so relieved when you woke up. You've done nothing but say my name for the past three days. It was the only thing that let me know you weren't brain-damaged," he laughed. Just then, my door opened and my parents walked in.

"Bella, oh my gosh! I'm so glad you're awake! Don't scare me like that ever again! I love you so much! Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" my mother asked frantically.

"You had us all worried, Bells," my dad said quietly. They both stood on my left side, Edward on my right, still holding my hand. We were all very quiet for a moment, which was interrupted by screeching.

"BELLA! YOU'RE AWAKE! OH, MY GOSH, I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!!! BUT I KNEW YOU WOULD MAKE IT! I HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE TO SHOP FOR!" Alice screamed as she walked through the door, holding Jasper's hand.

"Thank God, oh, Bella!" Rose said coming through the room with Emmett at her side. My parents and Edward made room for my friends to stand by my bed. Jasper and Alice were on my right now, Rosalie and Emmett on my left.

"I love you guys. All of you in different ways. Going through what I just went through made me realize that. Alice- my best friend. I love you more than a sister. Sure, you make me mad and take me shopping against my will, but you're always trying to make me look my best and do what you think is right for me. You're always there to have fun with me, to laugh with me, and cry with me."

"Rosalie, you're completely beautiful, and sometimes vain, and I'm jealous of you, but not for that. You never let your emotions get the better of you. You're the rock I can stand on when times are tough. You tell it like it is and never crack under pressure. You're completely amazing and know how to listen and how to give advice."

"Jasper- like your sister, you also have that same thing going for you. You're an amazing listener and know exactly what to say and what to do to cheer me up or calm me down. You're perfect for Alice and I'm glad that you two could get together. You are so sweet to me and treat me like I'm your sister. I appreciate everything that you've done and continue to do for me."

"Emmett. Gosh, what can I say about you?" I laughed. "You're like the big brother I never had. You make fun of me and cause me to blush daily, but you stick up for me too. When people are being mean to me, you're always there to kick the crap out of them when needed. I bet you're mad you missed Mike, huh?" I asked. He nodded. This next one was going to be the hardest...

"Edward," I began. "I love you. So much. It took me a long time to realize how much I wanted you in my life and it took you a long time to figure out where you really belong. With me. Without you, I wouldn't be here alive. You've saved my life in so many ways, physically and emotionally. You are the combination of all of the great qualities of all of my friends in one. I love you. I love you all, so much it hurts." One by one, they all came up to hug me and kiss me.

Alice wrapped her thin arms around my shoulders and pecked my cheek lightly, then sprung away. Rosalie hugged me as well, then grabbed my hand. Jasper kissed my forehead and grabbed my other hand. Emmett leaned in and pecked me wetly on the cheek. Edward leaned in and kissed my lips gently, then my forehead. I didn't care that my parents were in the room. I just cared that I was surrounded by the people that I loved. Sensing what I needed, Edward poured me a glass of water. I took a sip and quenched my thirst. I then leaned back onto my pillow and drifted into slumber.

_A/N: Sort of short, I know. Epilogue is next. Then FAQ's. Please review and don't forget my poll. Thank you soooooooo much for reading! I should have the story finished by tonight or tomorrow, I don't know which yet._


	18. Chapter 17, Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. If I did, I'd have a lot more money.**

_A/N: Here it is. The last chapter. I had an amazing time writing this for you guys, and thank you to all who even attempted to read this. You are the reason I do this, plus, I do it to write out my fantasies. I'm gonna write the FAQ's, and you all better read it! You'll get to find out the reason behind the names, dates, music, and movies, in case you're curious, as well as my reasons for writing and how I came up with this idea. _

I sat in the low chair while Alice applied my make-up. Rosalie was curling my hair. This was the ultimate torture.

Not only was I pretty much physically handicapped because I was so clumsy, but now they were forcing me to attend something I'd never had a desire to go near in my life. A dance. No, not just a dance. Prom.

"Hold still, Bella, we're almost done," Alice said impatiently as I fidgeted in my seat. It was getting uncomfortable. It was now nearly five in the afternoon, and they'd been working on me since one. I was in my white robe. I hadn't even looked at the dress Alice and Rose had picked out for me while I was still in the hospital.

I really did owe them bigtime. They helped me out with everything, since I could hardly move at all when I got home from the hospital. They helped me shower (much to my embarrassment), they collected my homework from when I was gone, and they just talked to me about whatever needed to be said. They put up with my moodiness, and they dealt with me when I was stubborn. They had really stepped up for me, so I decided to indulge them right then. I was a perfect angel while they tortured me.

After they were done, I struggled to get up. I now had a walking cast on and I could move around a bit easier. I could walk without crutches, but I was still shaky. I was so uncoordinated that the crutches didn't help, really. I walked out of the bathroom and into my bedroom to sit on the bed. Alice reached into my closet and pulled out a dress. It was beautiful, but my looks would probably ruin the dress's beauty.

It was long and blue. The top was lighter and as it went down, there were ruffles. Each ruffle was a darker shade of blue. It was gorgeous.

"This is for you," Rose announced. "And this," she said, pulling out another dress, "is for me." It was a stunning, deep red color that was off the shoulder and went to the floor. It reminded me of something somebody would wear in the 30's and 40's. Rose would make it look even more stunning.

"You, of course, have to see mine, too," Alice said, rushing to grab another dress from the closet. It was long, black, and sleeveless. It had a white and gray pattern at the top. It was totally something Alice would wear.

"Good job, girls," I said enthusiastically. Then, they helped me into my dress, careful not to mess up my hair or make-up. After it was on, they both took a step back and gasped.

"Edward is going to DIE when he sees you, hon," Rosalie said eyeing me.

"He's gonna have a hard time keeping his hands away from you," Alice said, eyes bulging. "Who knew you could look so gorgeous?" She asked rhetorically.

"Ha-ha," I laughed sarcastically. They slipped me into a shoe that was blue, shiny, and had a four inch heel. "Are you TRYING TO KILL ME?!" I shouted at them.

"Don't worry. Edward will catch you when you fall," Alice said. I was now complete. They helped me downstairs and then rushed upstairs to get ready themselves. Waiting at the bottom of the stairs was my Edward. He looked incredibly handsome in his tux. His hair was still messy, but that was part of who he was. He was amazing. My parents were there, along with Edward's. Esme came up and hugged me quickly. She reached behind her neck and took off her necklace. It had diamonds all the way around and another diamond hung from the center. She handed it to me.

"Bella, take it. Keep it."

"Oh, Esme, it's too much, I can't," I said, my voice thick with emotion. It really was too much.

"No, it isn't. You've helped make me the happiest mother in the world. You would have gotten it eventually, anyway," she said. I wondered what she meant by that...

Edward helped me put the necklace on and our parents took pictures. Esme and Renee were both crying with joy, as Carlisle looked proud and Charlie looked like he wanted to know the score of the game. We walked out to the Volvo in the warm, May weather. It hadn't rained all day (a first) and it was lovely outside as the twilight was falling around us.

We went into the gym, filing in after all the other juniors and seniors of Forks High. I wanted to sit down, but Edward wouldn't have it.

"No, Bella. Please dance with me. I won't let you fall, I promise." His voice was so sincere that I couldn't refuse this simple request. We walked onto the dancefloor and he held me close, swaying me from side to side like this was junior high. After a while, Alice and Rose showed up with Jasper and Emmett. The girls were beautiful, the boys were handsome. We all danced together until the final dance of the night. Then, Edward took me out under the full moon. We walked down the sidewalk and held hands. We found a spot under a tree where we could sit and talk about everything. I sat down first, and he moved behind me, positioning his legs around me. I leaned back into him. He placed kisses all down my throat and shoulders.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered in my ear, giving me goosebumps. "It's very difficult for me to talk about, but... when you were hurt, all I could think about was if you died. How could I live with myself? Of course I was thinking of you recovering, but there was always that 'What if?' in the back of my head, eating away at me. There's no one I want to be with more than you. You're my everything." I had now turned around to look him fully in his green eyes. "You're my life. I can't live without you," he said.

"I feel the same," I whispered. How could I compete with him? He was very good at this, and I wasn't. "You make me feel beautiful and amazing, all the time, even when I'm the farthest thing from it. You're honest with me and I believe you. You protect me and I know I'm always safe. I love you, Edward Anthony Masen."

"So where do we go from here?" I asked as I had all those months before. He was quiet for a moment.

"I don't know," he said quietly as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a black velvet box and placed it on my lap. "Open it," he ordered gently. Nestled inside was a delicate gold ring with a single diamond in the center. I gasped and turned back to him.

"Now, I know we're still in high school and nothing will happen until we are at least out of high school, but I was wondering if you'd like to marry me." I couldn't breathe. I could just stare at the ring. I noticed after a moment that I had tears in my eyes. I turned to look him fully in his emerald eyes.

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" I screamed. I was so happy... I was going to marry the guy I'd always wanted, the man of my dreams. I couldn't put words with the feelings I was experiencing now.

"It's mostly just a promise ring, you know, but it will be something to say that you're mine and no one elses." I liked the sound of that.

"Forever," I said.

"Forever," he whispered in my ear before kissing me on the lips gently and placing the ring on my finger.

_A/N: So part of that wasn't supposed to happen, but you'll hear more about that with the FAQ's. I want to officially thank everyone that read this and helped me with the whole inspiration aspect of this. I love you all dearly, and would like to tell you how happy you make me. It gives me great joy to be able to write for you fine folks and I hope that eventually I can write another fanfic for you guys. Thank you from the bottom of my heart._


	19. FAQ's

Now that the story is officially finished, I can let you in on some little secrets from the making of this. Here are some questions I get asked most often.

Where did you come up for the idea for this story?

Here it goes: once upon a time, in my hometown, I was in the sixth grade. There was a boy that moved to my little town in the middle of that year and we became friends... well, kinda. We picked on each other and talked and every year, we always have English class together. So anyway, as time went on, we drifted apart and he went to the cool kids and I stayed with the group of friends I'd had for forever. After we got to high school, I realized I had feelings for him and that I had let him get away. I realized that I had had feelings for him since the sixth grade (aka 5 years), but didn't know what they were because I was too young to notice (I know, I'm a loser, I was the only kid in my kindergarten class that didn't get "married"). Unfortunately, my story did not end up like Edward and Bella's. After a while, we started becoming closer and closer. Through a friend's Facebook, he found out I had a crush on someone and kept pestering me to tell him who it was. I finally agreed that I would tell him after play practice one day and I did, but he said it would be better if we were just friends because every girlfriend that he'd ever had had been friends with him first and they never lasted. So, alas, I was heartbroken and that's why I wrote this story. I say I've gotten over him, but really, who ever gets over their first real crush? I really did feel good for a while, and then I would see him with some other girl, or he felt like he could confide in me about his crushes and the types of girls he liked, and every time he did, it broke my heart more. So this story was a way to get away from that, and I think ultimately that was the reason I wrote it. To get away from him.

How much and which scenes were based on your real life experiences?

The first chapter with Alice was a big part of my childhood. Every sleepover I would go to, I would have to play truth or dare, and I really never had a crush. I mean, celebrities, heck yes, I was obsessed with Hayden Christensen for years, but I never liked any of the boys in my town. And of course, I was in the eighth grade and read Twilight (before anyone else in my town had, so HA! I'M A TRENDSETTER!!!!) and I was in love with Edward... but back to the question. The reading at lunch thing is totally me, and of course, the crushing on the guy you used to be friends with. The scene where Bella tells Edward her feelings is exactly how my thing went, except for it was in a deserted hallway at my high school and in the end, we didn't end up together.

What was up with the books and movies and music used in the story?

_Jane Eyre _was a bit of foreshadowing. Jane loves someone who isn't available and is above her and also, there is a line in there that says something about her being able to live alone, and I felt that sentence described me perfectly. She knew that if she didn't get a husband, it would not be the end of the world. _Anne of Green Gables _is my favorite classic. I have a little thing for Gilbert, haha. But Anne was how I was as a child (well, not behavior-wise, but her imagination). I always wanted to be just like Anne. I love _Harry Potter, _but hate _Eragon_ and _Lord of the Rings_. Spider-man and Batman are my two favorite heroes, the first Spider-man movie is probably my 5th favorite movie of all time and I saw it 6 times in the theaters. Linkin Park is my favorite band. _27 Dresses_ is just a favorite amongst me and my friend. We love it to death! I always cry in it because it's just like, "Darn it, that sucks!", but it's really really good in my opinion! _Fright Night _was the reason behind all of my vampire obsession. It's to this day my favorite movie of all time. When I was about 4 years old, my dad took me to the basement and sat me on his knee and we watched _Fright Night _and _Lost Boys._ Thus, this is the reason I wrote this story: because of my vampire obsession from a young age. _Notebook=_**EPIC FAIL.** Enough said. The movie that the girls are watching in the last girls night is _Just Friends. _Amazing. Simply wonderful movie (again, something I discovered that became a trend at my school, along with Within Temptation and Moulin Rouge! But I digress).

Is there any significance with the name Janet?

Not really. I was trying to think of a nice old lady name, and Janet came to me because it's my grandma's name.

What's up with February 25th?

It's my birthday. Plus, last year, Linkin Park played close to where I live on that date.

Which scenes were completely spontaneous?

The scene where Edward drives Bella to get her truck in Port Angeles was a major one. I was thinking about it and I was like, "Bella needs to go here in her tr- oh, gosh, it's still in Port Angeles!" Another was the Valentine's Day scene. It just came to me. They weren't supposed to kiss until the first date. The engagement? Uh, yeah, in the end, Edward was supposed to still be really depressed from the thing with Mike. Complete U-turn for ya right there...

How did your brother help you?

My brother hates _Twilight _a lot, even though he skipped school with me to go see it the first day it was out. He's totally Team James because he hates Bella and Edward with a burning passion. So we were watching the show _Whitest Kids U Know, _and the Whore Sketch came on, and he said I should incorporate that into my story. So when Mike is gonna beat the crap out of Bella and yells "BITCH!" that's because of my brother, who is 13.

Will there be a sequel?

No, and I'm completely certain on that. I don't know how I could go on with it. I can't think of anything else to do... so sorry about that.

What will you be working on next?

That's up for you fine people to decide... I've got two ideas in my head right now. I could do _The Boy from Alaska _in Edward's point of view and have it be called _The Girl from Forks, _or I have an idea for a cross between _Twilight _and _Thoroughly Modern Millie, _aka the Broadway play. I love the play a lot, and so I want to do something Twilight-y with it. So there is a poll up on my profile now, so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE VOTE SO I CAN WRITE FOR YOU.

Thank Yous

I want to thank Katie for giving me the book of _Twilight _two years ago. Without her, this would not be done, and I would not be such a dork and people would not run away from me in fear because I talk about NOTHING BUT TWILIGHT! I want to thank all of you that read this, because you actually like my writing, especially deetdee08 (I'm pretty sure that's your name on here, but you know who you are). My brother, for adding the Mike thing in and keeping me on my toes. Some inspirations were Linkin Park, Muse, Plain White T's, Ok Go, Jack's Mannequin, Celine Dion, Britney Spears (I know, I know), and Rise Against music-wise. Movies would be all the ones listed in the story, along with _Die Hard_ and _Sleepy Hollow _because I watched them when I needed some gore, and _Titanic, _because who does not love Jack and Rose? Also, the Allen and Craig Show helps me all the time and makes me laugh when I'm down, so a shout out to them. Will you marry me? LOL, JK. And _Whitest Kids. _Couldn't have done it without you making me laugh.

Last, but not least, I want to thank him. Even though he broke my heart and I sound like every love-struck teenager, he is the inspiration to this and I want to thank him for giving me something to write about.


	20. The Girl from Forks

The Girl from Forks is now up!


	21. Update on my situation

Many people have been asking for an update with the guy I wrote this story about (oh, and I think I forgot to mention it in my FAQ's, but his middle name is Edward, so that makes up for his completely ridiculous first name, which will never be revealed). So far, he's worked on being my friend, and lately he's been going out of his way to see me. This week, we've been working on a new play, and he's sort of followed me around all this week, and has come up to me and said, "Hey, you wanna go to an empty room and watch television?" which makes him sound like a creeper, but I really can't say no to him. He's done that lately, has told me that we need to hang out and has asked me for a ride home every night this week. But he got a girlfriend last week. The day he told me, I had just had the worst day. My favorite teacher was out of the country (and we talk about everything), my other favorite teacher was a student teacher and it was his last day, in choir, I didn't get the solo I wanted because someone else whined and the choir teacher was stupid and gave it to her because she whined, no one listened to me in my cooking class, and I had to dance for the play for 2 hours straight, and I get home and he tells me over Facebook. So that sent me over the edge and I started crying and watching girly movies, just crying and crying, I dreamt about him for the next 4 nights, and I know I said his name in my sleep (in front of my dad, too!), because when I sleeptalk, I can't control what I say, but I can hear everything I do say. I still cry over it, because now, he's showing me all this attention, but he has a girlfriend. Like, he talks about her in front of me and how they love making out and are going to her prom together and all these things they did and all the things they're going to do, and I keep thinking "That could be me" which kills me to no end. So I'm really confused. What do you guys think is up with him? Any comments or questions, just review or PM, but I know you guys wanted an update, so I gave you one!


	22. Long AN and Update, Please Read!

A/N: So, I've noticed that lately I've been making it onto quite a few Favorites lists, which is completely great, and I love it! So thank you to all those who are adding me and who have subscribed to alerts. And even though this is a little late, and no one will probably read this until it's too late, just letting you know that even if you didn't like it, even if you don't have much to say besides "yeah, it was good", I'd still like you to review, because I love them soooooo much, and I can't tell you how much I really appreciate them. Just saying thank you to all of those who are reading it, and who have read it, and who have reviewed time and time again. And just so you know, I am working on trying to do another fanfiction for Twilight, as well as my own original work, which I hope to publish on deviantart and fictionpress, and I'll of course let you know when that happens to be. As funny as it sounds, I think I actually get more of my personal work done during school. I know I told you guys I'd have another fic out this summer, but it just hasn't worked out. I've got the first two chapters done, though! The thing is, I don't want to start a story and post the chapters right away, and then not have anything for months, because I know I hate it when authors do that to me.

Some other fics I'm planning are for Fright Night, which I'm sure I've already said... haven't I? And I have a few other things planned, none of which come to mind at the moment, lol... I'm a little brain-dead right now. Oh, and if you're looking for some good reads before the end of summer (when you're not reading fics, lol), I'd recommend:

_10 Things I Hate About Me_ by Randa Abdel-Fattah (and if you like this, I'd read her first book as well, _Does My Head Look Big in This?_)

Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris (of course)

_Les Miserables_ by Victor Hugo (my friend was in that musical, and he was amazing, and I wanted to read the book, which is huge, but soooo good)

Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare (I've met her. I went to her book signing and talked to her for like, 5 minutes and I told her I named my cat after Simon, and then she told me she named Simon after her cat!)

_Wake _and _Fade_ by Lisa McMann (I've met her too, AND held Ms. Spoobin... be jealous)

_Common Sense _by Thomas Paine or _Common Sense_ by Glenn Beck (good if you're a conservative or just like American history. Glenn Beck is my hero, for sure. Best quote ever: "The moment I stop being genuine is the moment I fail."- Glenn Beck. Funny thing is, the guy I wrote "The Boy from Alaska" for? Yeah, his nickname for me is "Genuine Person")

_The Luxe_ and _Rumors_ and _Envy_ by Anna Godberson (and _Splendor_ comes out this year!)

_The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_ by Washington Irving (classic and amazing, and probably the only American fairy tale)

Not to mention...

The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer (whom I've met too, btw, again, be jealous...)

So, to all of you, I hope your summer is going great and has been going great! Please, if you want to talk to me about anything or ask me anything, review or PM me, I always get back to your questions. Oh, and I love book and movie suggestions, and those are some things you should put in the reviews here! And, if you watch _The Bachelorette_, you should talk about what your thoughts on that were... I loved Reid, lol... anyway, thanks for reading!

Love,

Emily


	23. KEEP READING

KEEP READING. Sorry, but I'm gonna have to insert some sibliminal messaging in here to keep you going to get to the good, heavy stuff that I want to talk to you guys about. So KEEP READING. Firstly, thank you for actually clicking on this and getting this far to be able to read this message. Secondly, I wanted to give some summer reading suggestions, as well as some television suggestions.

_A Thousand Splendid Suns _by Khaled Hosseini - I had to read _The Kite Runner _for junior English, and so over Christmas, I read this book in about a day and a half. So worth it.

_Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side_ by Beth Fantaskey - Just a fun, quick read.

KEEP READING.

_East of Eden_ by John Steinbeck - I had to read this for AP English, and it was the best book I read in that class. Plus, I grew up loving the movie and James Dean is pretty yummy, you know?

_The Hunger Games_ by Suzanne Collins - In case you're a little behind like I am, lol.

_Water for Elephants_ by Sara Gruen - I went to her book signing a couple of months ago, and she's a very interesting person, and this is a great read. Read it before you see the movie.

_Leave Her to Heaven_ by Ben Ames Williams - If you don't read this, at least watch the movie. Gene Tierney is sooo psycho that it makes my version of Mike in this story look like a good guy. And Vincent Price is in it for the last half hour, and he's probably the best part of the movie.

_Clockwork Angel_ by Cassandra Clare, not to mention_ City of Fallen Angels_ - The first is good... not as good as the Mortal Instruments, but still worth reading. As for the second, I was skeptical about continuing the series, but I read the first 50 pages and decided that it was SO WORTH IT. I'm glad she continued and I'm available to gush about Jace anytime you want. PM me. For real.

KEEP READING.

As for television:

Guilty Pleasures: _The Bachelorette, Pretty Little Liars_

For laughs...: _The Whitest Kids U Know, Tosh.0, The Big Bang Theory_

Can't miss: _The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural_

If I'm in the room...: _The Voice _(Team Adam!), _Pawn Stars, American Pickers, American Restoration_

Just a note on _Supernatural: _I'm pretty sure that now, it's a full-on obsession. I hated it at first, and then my brother made me rewatch the series two and a half years ago, and it blew my mind, and I now own the first five seasons... don't get me started on season 6.

KEEP READING.

HERE IT IS. THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

I have gotten some requests over the past few months to let you guys in on the situation and how everything has turned out, even two years after I published this. Which blows my mind. A lot. I read this and look back and think about how much I myself have improved as a writer, and more importantly, as a person. I was fifteen when this all started and I thought that I would never get over my crushes and feelings and guess what? I did. My guy and I are still civil, still Facebook friends, but we've both changed and grown so much in different ways that neither of us bares any resemblance at all to the eleven-year-olds we used to be. He's going into the Marines, and I'm not sure what else. I'm going to college to be a pharmacist, I work my part time job at Burger King, and I maintained a (weighted) GPA of 4.1 throughout high school, and graduated with honors. That might sound a little impressive (not to sound stuck up), but trust me, when I look back at the past four years and try to describe my feelings, I can't, because Bella said it better:

"I was a good student, but never the top of the class. Obviously, I could be counted out of anything athletic. Not artistic or musical, no particular talents to brag of. Nobody ever gave away a trophy for reading books. After eighteen years of mediocrity, I was pretty used to being average. I realized now that I'd long ago given up any aspirations of shining at anything. I just did the best with what I had, never quite fitting into my world."

-Bella Cullen, _Breaking Dawn_, Chapter 26, _Shiny_

I guess I'm just venting because I just graduated, haha. But seriously, this is what I feel like. If there is one thing I've learned during high school it is that life goes on... and I believe Bella said something to that effect at the beginning of _New Moon_... but I digress. Things change. People change. When you're in high school and you don't have a date, it's the end of the world. When you fail a test, it's the end of the world. When someone doesn't reciprocate feelings, it's the end of the world. This is where Jessica's valedictorian speech from _Eclipse_ comes in. It's okay to make mistakes and be stupid, something I'm still accepting myself. I look back at some of the things I've felt and done and think "What the hell was I thinking?"

But back to this story.

If I have just helped one person... just ONE... then this story has done it's job. I wrote it to get my feelings out and to improve my writing, but as I went on and finished this saga in record time, it became more than just about me. It became about the people I was writing for. I wanted to please you all and hopefully help you all through the same sort of struggles. I know that I'm just a dumb teenaged girl, but I know that nearly EVERYONE has a story similar to mine, and I wanted to illuminate that. You're not alone, and you'll always have a friend in me.


End file.
